Animorphs: The Alternative
by EzekielRaiden
Summary: JC,RT,MA. Part 9 done! The Ellimist finds that Crayak interfered with his selection of the Animorphs & sets things right. Marco & Ax are brought together by their friends. Rare adult content. Some language, violence. Please R&R! It'd make my day! Thanks.
1. Prologue

**ANIMORPHS  
_The Alternative_**

Author's Note:

Yes, I'm a dirty whore that likes to use the Ellimist's powers to alter stuff.  
Yes, I've inserted my own character into the story, but I swear he won't be a Mary Sue.  
And yes, this story may (probably will) involve slash. Between Ax and Marco.

If any of these things bothers you, don't read it. Otherwise, enjoy.

Authors Note #2:

I don't know why everybody seems to think that Andalites would be so against homosexuality. I mean, sure, they've got that thing with disabled people, but still. For that reason, I made them..._mostly_ accepting of homosexuality. But only mostly.

Final Author's Note

I. Am. Sick. And. Frelling. Tired. Of. Weepy. Ax/Marco. Pairings._  
Love is about being happy._ About 90 of the good M/A pairs are DEPRESSING.  
A little drama is good. Twisting people's heartstrings is better. Romantic and sexual tension is good too. I draw the line when it's EMO.  
For God's sake, LET THEM BE HAPPY FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW AND THEN! Let them end with HAPPINESS! Is that SO much to ask??

Anyway, this is one of those fics with twists and turns, with heartache and sadness. But it will also have joy, mirth, love, and HAPPINESS. And dammit, if I have to shove it down your throats with a grapefruit spoon, I WILL!

Disclaimer:  
I don't own the characters (except Zeke, of course). I'd never steal Applegate's stuff.

Warning: Contains occasional offensive language, possibly significant violence like in the books, and (eventually) explicit sexual contact between consenting same-sex minors. If this offends you in any way, don't read. If not, carry on.

PS-This is probably an insanely large Author's Notes page. Oh well. Sue me.

EVIL WILL NOT SEE, FOR EVIL LIES  
NOT IN GOD'S PICTURE BUT IN CROOKED EYES.  
- J.R.R. Tolkien

«·»

* * *

**Prologue**

Amidst the never-ending, convoluted, shimmering strands of time, the Ellimist watched and waited. He had lived like this for eons, longer than the race that called itself humanity had existed. Within his mind teemed the remnants of uncounted others, those who had passed before and that had merged with him long, long ago. He stared at one very bright line that had once turned billions upon billions of others; it was a line composed of a scant half dozen others, but it radiated a power that commanded even his respect.

However, he saw where that six-strong line ended. All of its members perished, even though he had helped, sheltered, aided, always indirectly and often in ways beyond corporeal understanding. First, Rachel, who had valiantly sacrificed herself to protect her fellows. Then Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, the brave and uniquely humble Andalite prince who became the unwilling slave of the terrible One. Jake, Marco, Tobias, all slain in a brave but fruitless attempt to save their friend Ax, whom they freed just long enough to take his own life rather than remain with the One. And finally, Cassie, who died saving endangered extraterrestrial species, upholding her ideals to the last.

Inwardly, the Ellimist sighed. Of course, he had long lost the body he originally belonged to, so long ago that he could hardly remember what it had felt like. However, as the human Animorphs would have said, old habits die hard. The Ellimist rarely grew close to anyone in this existence he currently led; it wasn't that he didn't care, he simply saw so much more than anyone else could. Only his most dire enemy, the Crayak, could function on the Ellimist's level, and they had been locked in opposition from the first. He saw the seven lines branch, separate, dim, but they always remained connected in some small way. He turned his attention to other things.

Then, however, something caught his "eye." He returned to the seven lines, and traced them back, back to the beginning, following the many connections and pathways. He noticed that another line, another child burning with possibility, _could_ have joined. There _could_ have been seven Animorphs. However, before the lines could join, before a connection significant enough could be made, circumstances changed, lives separated.

**«What is this?»** he asked of no one in particular. **«We must investigate...it may be that the story's end has not been written...»**

The Ellimist called on his reality-bending powers, those that many would call "nearly omnipotent." He smiled as he brought together the warriors that he valued so, hoping beyond hope that they would accept, hoped that he could do this. He could not let Crayak win again. Had to try, even if things looked bleak.

The six humans and one Andalite appeared in a place they were familiar with. The barn, where several other meetings like this one had come and gone, both with the Ellimist and servants of the Crayak. He walked into the room from outside space, through a door that the assembled children could only see while he walked through it.

Ax and Tobias were the first to realize what happened.

"Ahhhh!" the boy cried, at first unable to reconcile where he had just been, and _what_ he had just been, with his current situation. Ax looked startled, but focused on the bright blue being with not a little tension.

Marco, whose hands looked rather soapy, like one doing dishes, was the first to respond. "Oh, God, not again. Yes, to top off a day of spring cleaning, laundry, and dishwashing _by hand_, I just _knew_ I needed another trip through Inside-Out world!"

**«Hello to you, as well, Marco,»** said the voice that was not a voice, that spoke inside and outside and everywhere at once. **«Welcome to all of you. Jake, Cassie, Tobias, Rachel, and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill.»**

Rachel looked as if she'd just been doing gymnastic exercises, and wasn't exactly happy either. "What do you want now?"

The Ellimist studied them for a moment. **«There is something you must know. A question we must ask of you...because many things depend upon it. First, I wish for you to look and listen.»**

The assembled Animorphs looked at where he pointed, and saw what looked like a window into time. Millions, billions of strands, uncountable in number, weaved in and out and around and through everything. Then they saw seven bright, shining strands, that wound together to make a brilliantly shining cord, one that changed the paths of thousands of other strands.

«Those strands are you, my friends. Your lives, your efforts, and your sacrificies have made great changes. But...»

"We don't like 'but,' Ellimist. Not at all," said Jake, sliding back into his unquestioned leadership position. "What do you have to say?"

The Ellimist, for the first time since they met him, looked...pained. **«Your endings are not as bright as your journeys. You all die. We will show you.»**

Suddenly, the images flowered in their heads. Rachel, committing the ultimate sacrifice so that everyone else could survive. Marco, Jake, and Tobias, all being slain trying to save Ax, and Ax taking his own life rather than be slave to The One. Cassie, dying because she overstretched herself saving animals, because she never really let go of Rachel and the others. Death.

**«Now do you see?»** he asked, an echo of sadness in that non-voice. **«I could not stand idly by and let you die. But, as you know, we will not interfere. I will not make decisions for you. Therefore, you must choose, and even we do not know if the alternative is better. But, I am getting ahead of myself.»**

In less than a blink of an eye, the children were no longer in the time-frozen Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. The Ellimist had taken them to that place outside of time, where inside and outside, top and bottom, back and front were all the same thing. The Ellimist's home, so colorfully known as "Inside-Out World" in Marco's mind.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." Marco started, but trailed off, as even his attention was drawn to the Ellimist. He was there, not in his corporeal form, but in his true 'shape': a massive white light, that was everywhere and nowhere, that had no beginning, one beginning, and all beginnings. He simply _was_.

**«You must look and listen. This boy-Ezekiel-was a potential Animorph. However, the strands twisted away from meeting with Prince Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, and he was gone before he could join you.»**

‹What is special about this human?› asked Ax, with just a trace of that Andalite arrogance. ‹Why does his presence or non-presence matter?›

The Ellimist smiled, though how the Animorphs knew that was difficult to say. **«Ah, ever inquisitive, despite your Andalite pride, Aximili. And I do not know if I can answer your question...this boy is unique. We cannot see far into the possible future with the six of you until he joins you.****»**

"So basically what you're saying," said Rachel gruffly, "is that you have no idea if having this guy along will even help."

**«No, I do not, Rachel,** he answered, unusually frank. **«But the choice will not only be yours-we must ask Ezekiel as well.»**

Suddenly, an eighth person appeared among those standing on the solid nothingness that the others were. He bore a lonely expression, and his bright blue eyes seemed haunted. His clothes were messy, his short black hair messier. He glanced about in surprise, then looked at the Ellimist.

"You told me about what this might mean, Ellimist. They should know what will happen if they do not choose to accept me."

**«All in good time, Ezekiel. If you choose to not change the timeline, all of you will return to it as it is. None of you will remember what happened, especially Ezekiel. Your secrets will be safe. If he chooses to accept your burden, and you choose to accept him, you will not remember this discussion. It will be as though Ezekiel was always there. Whichever way you choose, you cannot go back.»**

Ax was the first to give his vote. ‹Yes.›

"How can you say that so fast, Ax-man? We haven't even been able to think about it yet," Marco admonished, pursing his lips. "I mean, I don't want to die any more than you, but...this seems a little too dangerous."

‹You don't understand, Marco. I...I felt what it was like to be part of The One. It was worse than being a Yeerk host could ever be. It is better to fight it like a warrior than to run away like a coward, even if you don't know you'll win.›

"Can't argue with the man's logic!" Rachel cried, grinning. "Count me in."

Jake waited in silence, as Cassie added, "I don't want to be the last...not like that. Maybe things can be different this way. Maybe we can really win...together." She looked at her best friend, Rachel.

"I vote yes, too," said Tobias, his sad smile getting a little brighter. "Who knows? I think Zeke looks like a nice guy." Zeke blushed, but said nothing.

"Well, with bird-boy, the Blue Deer-Boy-Scorpion from Outer Space, Xenia: Warrior Princess, _and_ Miss Save the Whales voting yes, there's no good reason to vote no. Besides, I was too pretty to die anyway," Marco laughed, jokingly flexing the muscles in his forearms.

"Oh, give it a rest, Marco," Jake said, cuffing his friend playfully on the shoulder. "And I vote yes, too. Cassie shouldn't have to be alone like that."

**«That leaves one vote,»** the Ellimist replied, 'turning' to 'look' at Ezekiel. **«Ezekiel, do you wish to join the Animorphs, knowing that it will be a long, difficult struggle against impossible odds?»**

Suddenly, the group saw an enormous change come over Ezekiel. His eyes became brighter, his expression transformed from lonely and defeated to fiercely determined. "Yes, Ellimist. I accept." He looked as though he had never been more certain of anything in his life.

**«So be it. May whatever deity you worship smile upon the choice you have made. And remember-I will keep watch over you, young warriors.»**


	2. Chapter 1: Ax

**Chapter 1: Aximili**

My name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, and I am an alien.

Almost any Andalite will never have heard that name, except perhaps those who study my elder brother's, Elfangor's, family. It is not uncommon for that to happen... though I shall likely never be free of the title "Elfangor's Little Brother". Even the humans I battle alongside with say his name with reverence, though I believe they respect me as I am despite my relation to him. Tobias, my _shorm_ and nephew, is Elfangor's son and the closest of the Animorphs to my brother and myself.

That battle, that war, is the reason I am here with these humans, and the reason we can do the things we can do. We use an Andalite technology called morphing, which allows us to take the form of any animal we can touch. With those morphs, we fight the Yeerks-a race of parasitic, slug-like creatures that take over other beings' minds and bodies. The Yeerks have enslaved dozens of species: the Gedds, the pacifistic but naturally lethal Hork-Bajir, the Nahara, the Taxxons... Now, humanity was next on the list. Human-Controllers are the newest conquests of the Yeerks.

I am not sure if my human companions fully understand how useful the human form can be to a Yeerk. It is completely true that humans are very weak in comparison to other races. The fact that they have two legs and no tail is certainly one of their weaknesses. I have experience in that regard. Humans have few natural defenses, as well; by comparison, their skin is not very durable, they have no claws or natural weapons of any kind, and their senses are severely limited when compared to Andalite stalk eyes or Leeran telepathy. (This excludes the wonders of taste, of course.)

However, in spite of their problems, humans have had enormous success in many other areas. Like Andalites, humans have arms and hands capable of fine detail work, yet those very appendages are notably stronger than similar examples from other races. And, while their senses aren't the very best in the galaxy, they're certainly not the worst either.

The most troubling thing about humans is their adaptability, as single people and as large groups. In only 66 years, they went from their first powered flight to landing on their moon. In less than a half century, they progressed from finding radioactivity to exploding the first atomic weapon. Who knows where they will be in fifty years, a century, more? I don't doubt that their technology will one day equal, or perhaps rival, our own.

I was discussing this very subject with two of my six human friends, Marco and Zeke, toward the end of a meeting. Although I am closest to Tobias, because he is my _shorm_, I frequently find that Zeke is more interesting for discussions. I do not have as much friendly affection for Zeke, but I respect the both of them equally.

〈Marco,〉 I said, 〈I do not know if you really understand how much the Yeerks want your race.〉

He replied, using the usual human mouth-sounds, "I honestly don't see what's so great about humans. From what you've said, we're pretty backward technologically, we're not nearly as hardy as the Hork-Bajir, and there are more intelligent species out there."

〈Technology, intelligence, and endurance are not the only things the Yeerks seek. Humans mix different qualities in an...unusual way.〉

"What do you mean, unusual way?" asked Zeke. "Really, there are not many huge differences between, say, the Andalite upper body and a human's."

Knowing that Zeke was of slight build for most human males, I asked, 〈Zeke, hold up your arm.〉

He looked confused, but did it anyway. I placed my arm next to his, to show the differences. A dawning of realization came to his face.

〈Now I think you understand a little better. Andalites may have tails and stronger legs, but you human arms and hands are better in several ways. You are stronger, and can still perform detail tasks.〉

"So we're Ah-nuld vith artsy haaands?" asked Marco, in what I believe was humor. I believe this "Ah-nuld" is a human in popular culture with a famously large amount of muscle, though this could also be an example of sarcasm.

〈It's not just that. You're ideal for what the Yeerks want. Easily controlled, with a wide variety of talents and skills.〉

"And we breed quickly, don't we, Ax?" came Zeke's astute response.

〈Well...I can't say for sure, but I know that you have a faster reproduction cycle than Andalites do. Of course, we are aware of the Yeerks, and your race is not.〉

"Great," said Marco, rolling his eyes and pursing his lips. This is usually a sign of annoyance. "So we're like little ignorant rabbits for the Yeerks. Just great."

With that, he checked his watch. Humans do not have an internal timekeeping system like we do, so much of their lives are spent either waiting for time to pass or rushing to catch up. By the look on his face, I could tell that Marco was not happy about the time. He also did not seem to want to continue the line of thought much further. Zeke, on the other hand, was very interested in the subject.

"What other things do you think the Yeerks see in us, Ax? I mean, a lot of our talents are more or less useless to them. Art, poetry, wisdom..." he trailed off, waiting for a reply.

〈These things you mention are products of other gifts that the Yeerks desire. Your race is better at deception than most, and many of you exhibit diplomatic natures beyond what the Yeerks have. Your form is more attractive and easier to work with than other humanoid races they have enslaved, like the Gedds.〉

Marco gave Zeke a stare. I am not exactly sure what it meant, but it caused Zeke to stop questioning. The meeting had more or less run down, and it seemed that Marco was preoccupied about something.

"Jake, when are we going to wrap this up?" he asked, sounding impatient. "It's not like I've got all day to jab about new info, 'specially when we're not on a mission or anything."

Prince Jake put on a scowl-though I believe it was playful-and then laughed. "Alright, Marco, who is it this time?"

"What ever gave you that idea?" countered his shorter, dark-haired friend.

"You get impatient like this for three reasons. Either your dad's promised to take you somewhere, or you've got money, or you've got a date."

Rachel, Prince Jake's cousin, took over. "Your dad's working late all week because of that eclipse coming up next week, which you've done nothing but complain about. Believe me, I've noticed." She stuck out her tongue at Marco. This is another unusual human method of communication, of which I am not exactly certain what it means. It may be used to emphasize something, because it is usually used when someone is very unhappy or very happy.

Tobias joined in, in his thought-speak voice. 〈Plus, you haven't been fiddling with your wallet. You always do that when you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket.〉 I reminded myself to ask about this reaction later.

Marco rolled his eyes again, throwing up his hands in mock defeat. "So you've caught me. Yeah, yeah, I've got a date. So what?"

I sensed that the situation was getting mildly tense. I felt very powerless and confused, however, as I have yet to learn much about this thing called a "date." It appears to be a component of the human mating rituals, but I have heard it used in both romantic and chaste situations. "Dating" is one of those issues I am uncomfortable to ask about, partly because I do not wish to discuss Andalite...mating rituals. But perhaps my _shorm, _Tobias, could tell me more about this.

That would have to wait, however. My human friends seemed to be enjoying this discussion with Marco almost as much as he wasn't. Almost.

"Aw, c'mon guys, gimme a break. I'm trying to have a normal life here, or as much of one as I can when I'm friends with the Bird-Boy and a blue deer-slash-scorpion-slash-teenager from outer space."

"That still doesn't tell us who the lucky lady is, Marco," said Zeke. "I mean, you'd think you'd want to show off instead of hiding it."

Cassie looked surprised; Zeke made use of a gift that was normally hers, to say just the right thing at just the right time. However, she quickly followed behind Zeke's comment. "You know, Zeke's right. Besides, we're just jealous of you anyway." She gave Prince Jake a fleeting look, which he met briefly.

Prince Jake and Cassie are, as Marco sometimes says, 'an item.' They share an obvious attraction to one another, but as with many human behaviors, it is difficult to be absolutely certain. When I spent time pretending to be Prince Jake, so that the Yeerk that took control of him could not reveal our secret, the bond between Cassie and Prince Jake seemed obvious to his parents.

"Her name's Leila," Marco mumbled, as his face began to turn slightly pink. He glanced at his watch again. "Oh, shit, if I don't go now I'll be late!"

With that, Marco dashed off, grabbed his two-wheeled locomotive device, called a "bicycle," and headed for home. His desperation was actually quite comical, and we all heartily laughed at the situation and timing of his departure. As the meeting was essentially over, we began to disperse. Tobias remained behind to speak with Cassie for a moment, while I made my exit.

〈Hey, Ax-man,〉 Tobias called as I galloped home to my scoop in the forest. 〈Wait up a second.〉

〈It will take more than a single Earth second for you to catch up to me, Tobias.〉

Tobias' thought-spoken laugh warmed my hearts. 〈It's an expression, Ax. Or were you making a joke?〉

〈I was attempting Earth humor. I was apparently successful, as well.〉

〈So, what do you have planned for the day?〉

I thought for a moment. 〈Not much. It is not usual for us to have a 'free' day like this, and I think I would like to take advantage of the time we have today.〉

〈Oh, hey, that reminds me,〉 Tobias added. 〈Zeke said you were interested in Earth religions, so we pooled some book money together and got you some stuff. He's keeping it at his house until you come get it.〉

〈I would enjoy some flying today. And reading. Your Earth religions are very interesting, especially...Chistianity?〉

Tobias suppressed a chuckle, but I could hear it in his voice. 〈I think you mean Christianity, Ax-man. What do you think is interesting about it?〉

〈The principles of self-sacrifice,〉 I answered, as I began to morph into my harrier form. 〈Many of its philosophical premises seem very logical. I am not entirely sure about some of its mythological and ritual aspects, but it is very interesting nonetheless. Certain rules in it do not make sense, though.〉

〈What do you mean, certain rules?〉 Tobias asked, now interested as well. 〈Are there major differences from your culture?〉

〈Yes. Having read the Bible that Zeke gave me, I have discovered several points of disagreement. Not all of them are ones I personally disagree with, such as equality for women and treating the poor and hurt with kindness. Others, such as the inhibition against homosexuality, I do not understand.〉

Tobias sounded taken aback. 〈Wait, you mean it's okay to be homosexual among Andalites?〉

〈Well...it is a complicated issue. I am sure you understand why. But, more or less, homosexuality is...tolerated. There are of course those who harbor old prejudices, but since there are very few homosexual Andalites, there is very little impact on society.〉 I felt badly, telling a lie of omission to my _shorm_, but I did not wish to discuss the matter any further.

〈You people are very strange. You don't like invalids, but you don't mind gays. Hmm.〉

〈What is this word, 'gay,' Tobias? I have heard it used before, but do not understand it. The dictionary told me it meant 'happy,' but I do not think it is always used in that context.〉

〈Oh, um, well,〉 Tobias stammered, 〈it's basically a slang word for homosexuals. Usually men, but it can mean women too. It can be offensive, but usually it's not.〉

〈I see. When we finish this trip, Tobias, I would like to ask you some questions about human courtship habits. I know very little about this...'dating' Marco spoke of.〉

〈Oh, boy. That'll be fun,〉 said Tobias, in what sounded like a sarcastic tone. Too much of human language is based on the tone in which something is said, I believe, but it also carries many beautiful and mysterious things that are difficult to express in thought-speak.

After about an hour of flying, catching thermals, and enjoying ourselves, Tobias and I returned to my scoop. I demorphed and grazed for a short while. As I was getting a drink from a nearby stream, Tobias walked out of the bushes in human morph. He had placed street clothing over his morphing outfit. I do not know why humans feel they must wear clothes when, for at least half the year, it is warm enough for them to go without them. In any event, it is necessary to wear them in public so as to not draw attention.

According to Cassie, Tobias and I have good-looking clothes. I believe she used the word 'cute.' I do not fully understand the definition of this word, but it appears to mean attractive, innocent, or seductive, depending (as is usual) on context and tone. This is because people can be cute; small, young animals can be cute; and inanimate objects can be cute. Perhaps, one day, I will write a book on the nuances of human mouth-sounds. It would prove invaluable to my fellow Andalites, I believe.

〈You look very good in those clothes, Tobias,〉 I said. 〈Would it be appropriate for me to call you 'cute?'〉

Tobias' eyes grew wide. "Um, Ax, unless you're attracted to me, you probably shouldn't say that. In fact, you should only say that about girls, or...little kids. Or guys you're attracted to, if that's what your into."

〈I see. Why is there such a complicated system like this, Tobias?〉

"Beats me." He shrugged. "I think it's just the way people are. So, you gonna get ready so we can visit Zeke? I mean, I've only got about an hour and forty-five minutes.."

〈You have approximately one hour, fifty six minutes, and twenty-two seconds.〉

"Not Earth hours, minutes, or seconds?" he asked, smiling.

I hadn't thought to add that that time. Marco is always joking about how I say "Earth minutes" whenever I provide timekeeping for the group. It is somewhat silly, I suppose, given that we have different words for "minutes" and "hours" and "seconds" among the Andalites. It just seemed natural to say it that way before. Perhaps I will change now.

〈Not this time,〉 I said, as I neared completion of my human morph. Then my mouth and vocal chords formed, so I had to speak. "Perhaps next time. Haps. Erhaps. Ex-tuh." I dressed myself, hoping that this time I would get it all right.

As I left the trees, Tobias put his hand to his mouth. I believe he was suppressing laughter. "Oh, Ax. You tried. Come here, let's get that fixed."

I made a mental note to remember that socks go on the feet, not on the hands...and that pants are put on with the legs going down, not up.

«·» «·» «·»

The trip to Zeke's residence was a short one. Using some of the money we had collected over the past few months, Tobias and I rode a bus into the near vicinity, and walked the rest of the way. Again, Tobias and I made 'small talk' as we wound our way through city streets, both to occupy ourselves and to appear normal.

I looked up and saw that we had reached Ezekiel's dwelling place. It was a nice home, for a human. Slightly smaller than Marco's new house or Prince Jake's, but large enough to be of good quality. We walked over to the door and Tobias pressed a small button on the wall next to the door handle.

Suddenly, a series of noises began playing some form of musical pattern. I became wary, but, remembering my experience with the bell while visiting the school with Prince Jake, I tried to hide my alarm.

"It's okay, Ax," Tobias whispered. "It's called a doorbell. People ring it to let the owners know they have guests."

"Oh," I replied, equally softly. "That makes sense. Ense. If I lived in a house instead of a scoop, sck-ooop, I would want a doorbell too. Tew."

The door opened, and a slightly disheveled-looking Zeke came through the opened door. "Oh, hey guys. Been expecting you," he said, also in a quiet manner. He then turned around and said, "Hey, Mom, those friends I told you about are here. Do you mind if we go up to my room for a little while?"

An adult female voice called back, "Sure thing, dear. If you want anything, just check the fridge or the pantry."

We went up the stairs to the second floor, to Zeke's bedroom. He opened the door and ushered us in.

"Alright, here you go," he said, taking a few books off of a nearby shelf. "Found these online, they're pretty good ones too. If you have any questions, Ax, please feel free to ask."

Tobias glanced about the room. "Hey, Zeke, I think this is the first time I've ever been to your house. It's nice."

Zeke smiled in his usual gentle way, one that seemed almost sad. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure none of the Animorphs have been to my house before. I only moved here a few months before...we met Ax's brother."

For just a moment, I felt very proud that Zeke called Elfangor _my_ brother, not the other way around. I then realized that this was, at least in part, coded language, so that if his parents or younger sister overheard, they would not suspect. We cannot trust anyone, because the possibility that they are a Controller-or could become a Controller-is too terrible to even consider.

"Maybe we should, ould, visit more often. Oft. Tententen."

"I'd like that," said Zeke, smiling more widely. "I enjoy our conversations."

Tobias looked at me pensively. "How much longer do we have, Ax?"

"You have fifty-three Earth minutes," I replied, smiling also. "I have fifty-seven."

"You guys should probably get going, then," said Zeke, with a small exhalation of air. "I should probably study up for math and history, since finals week is coming up."

"What?" I asked, curious. "What do you mean by a week of finality? Ity. Tea."

Zeke laughed, and replied. "It's a week of tests. When you were in school, did you have a major test at the end of a school year that covered everything you learned?"

"Not exactly. Actly. Zactly. I do remember large exams, especially before I became an _aristh_, though they were less comprehensive than that. They focused on essentials, shulls, and more on remembering the important things. Zzzz." I enjoy the feeling of a good 'z' sound. It tickles the nose.

"Oh, I see. You get taught all the important things, but focus mainly on the things you really need to know," said Zeke, sliding into his analytical mode. He checked his watch, "Oh, hey, you guys should really get going. Unless you want to demorph here, which I doubt."

"Yeah, we should head out to the bus. See you later, Zeke!" Tobias said, as we walked to the door. I wished him a goodbye as well, and we parted.


	3. Chapter 2: Zeke

((Author's Note: Isn't it FREAKING ANNOYING how won't accept the thought-speak braces? I think so. But hey, I figured out a way around it anyway, so it's all good. Now, without further ado, the second chapter.))

* * *

**Chapter 2: Zeke**

Hi. My friends know me as Ezekiel, or Zeke for short. Can't tell you my last name, even though I'd love to. Believe me, I really, really would love to. I'm the trusting sort, but in this situation my life depends on you _not_ knowing who I am. As one of my close friends would say, I'm kind of attached to living.

Think I'm paranoid? You're right. But my paranoia is justified. If you'd seen the things I've seen, fought the battles I've fought, and had to make the decisions I've had to make, you'd be paranoid too. There are times when I just want to crawl into a hole, bury myself, and never, ever, ever move again. But I can't, not until the Yeerks are defeated.

Yeerks, you say? Wondering if I'm not just paranoid, but delusional too? Think again. When I look up at the stars at night, I don't wonder whether we're all alone in the universe. I don't think about what it would be like to meet the first aliens to visit Earth. I know we're not alone, and I know what it's like. They're already here, and they're trying to take over.

The Yeerks are slug-like parasites. They crawl in through the ear of their intended host, pushing their way through until they reach the brain. Then they stretch themselves out, thinner and thinner, until they're nothing more than a sheet of flesh covering the host's brain, fitting into every crease and fold of the grey matter. Then they link their nervous system up and take over. That's when the host has become a Controller.

And they can be anybody. Your parents. Your siblings. Your weird aunt that likes cats a little too much. That teacher that you just hate. Your favorite grandparent. And you'd never know. That is, you'd never know until it was too late for you. Until they made you into a Controller too.

Now I bet you're wondering how a kid like me knows if these Yeerks are secretly taking over? It's almost simple, in that uniquely bizarre way that our lives consistently are nowadays. My five friends—Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, and Marco—and I met a dying alien war hero in the middle of an abandoned construction site, and he told us. Simple, right?

Not really. Because, when Elfangor told us what was happening to our planet, he didn't just arm us with knowledge. He gave us a great power, too—the power to morph, to take on the shape of any animal that we've touched since then. The power that has been our terrible burden, our secret curse, and Earth's only hope against the invasion that it doesn't even know is happening. It has some positive sides, too, but we don't have much time for fun when trying to save the world.

The seven of us are the only ones who know this is happening. Me, Zeke, the Questioner, as my friends sometimes call me. Marco occasionally goes farther, but it's all in jest. He's the joker of the group, and those stupid jokes of his have pulled us through more than once. His best friend is Jake, the unofficially official leader of our group. Jake makes all the hard decisions for us—and I don't envy him at all. Sometimes, I wish he didn't have to make those decisions, because he's had to grow up faster than all of us combined. But I'd never wish that we'd never met Elfangor. He was…meeting him was the most important moment of my life.

Cassie, our resident lover of all things foliaged, furred, feathered, or finned, is also our emotional anchor, the one who always knows the right thing to say, and who has saved us all from the temptation of insanity. Everybody knows that she and Jake have a thing, but they're shy about it and none of us wants to press the issue. At least we can be normal on some levels, right?

_Her_ best friend, Rachel, is the true warrior of the group. All of us, and especially Marco, have called her Xenia: Warrior Princess at one time or another, and she couldn't be more different from Cassie. Where Cassie is a short, fashion-impaired, quiet peacemaker, Rachel is a tall, outfit-obsessed, loudly blunt soldier-at-heart. But hey, opposites attract, they say, and the two of them couldn't be better friends, either.

The last human member of our little band is Tobias, who is actually a hawk. It's kind of complicated and kind of tragic, but he's trapped in a hawk body. However, because of a trick pulled by the Ellimist, he can now morph into his old human body.

That leaves only one member left. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. Our resident alien, brother to Prince Elfangor, and expert on anything extra-terrestrial. He also happens to be Tobias' uncle, through an extremely twisted time-paradox, again because of the Ellimist, that makes Tobias Elfangor's son. Ax and Tobias are _shorms_, which basically means very, very close friends in Andalite language. He is always trying to figure out how us humans tick, though most of his 'adventures' in his human morph end up as nightmares. Nobody gets hurt, but Ax is…_very_ sensitive to taste.

Oh, and about Ax's human morph, which he just happened to be in. It's a blend of Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Jake, and I. He chose to be male, since Ax _is_ male, but since the DNA is almost half female…he is unnaturally, disturbingly pretty for a guy. You know those…bishounens, from anime? He puts them to shame.

His striking eyes were currently bluish-green grey (how on earth did he get that color?) and were watching the television that we've set up in his little 'home in the forest.' He calls it a 'scoop,' since that's apparently what Andalite homes are called on his homeworld, but it's really just a little indentation in the ground, with fewer trees. Well, either way, the Animorphs were meeting there to discuss our newest "Teach Ax to Be Human" mission. Or missions, as was actually the case.

It had, oddly enough, been Marco's idea. "All I'm saying is, with summer coming up soon and no big missions on the horizon, I think Ax-man here needs some more visits to the outside world."

Rachel let out a small sigh, possibly of exasperation, and said, "Guys, I hate to say this, but I can't help agreeing with Marco on this one."

I raised an eyebrow. Surreptitiously, I checked my friends. Jake had raised both in surprise, and Cassie was carefully trying to hide one of her knowing smiles. I knew where Marco got the idea—and why Rachel was finding herself agreeing to it, in spite of herself.

I smiled. "Well, I'm all for it," I said, being careful to keep my expression just on the happy side of neutral. "But, just one question: What made you think of it?"

The look in Marco's eyes, that was gone almost as soon as it appeared, told me exactly what I wanted to know. It hadn't just been his idea…Cassie probably helped him along with it.

His impromptu was superb, though, when he said, "Well, y'know, all of us are gonna be going off to camps and going on vacations and things, and I thought Ax might start feeling a little left out and lonely."

Now I turned and glanced at Aximili, who was (for one of the only times I could remember) saying nothing at all. At Marco's mention of not wanting Ax to feel left out or unhappy, I saw the tiniest spark of joy in those strangely colored eyes. However, the commercials had just come on on whatever channel he was watching, and they distracted him momentarily. He particularly loves commercials for some odd reason (perhaps because Andalites don't have them?) and calls them "These Messages."

"I would not be opposed, ozed, to learning more about human culture. Why is summer, ummer, mer-uh, different from any other time of the year?" he asked, playing with the unfamiliar speech sounds, as was his wont.

"Well," Jake said, trying to explain more of human culture, "On Earth, at least in the United States, summer is a break from school for most kids. We don't have school for about two and a half to three months."

"Fascinating. Ting. Ing-guh. This time of year is set aside for vacations and such things because there is more free time, and the weather is better?"

"That's exactly right," said Cassie, smiling. "The only problem is, a lot of us are going to camps at some time or other, like Rachel's Gymnastics camp."

said Tobias, perched on a nearby tree, 

"Yes, I would enjoy, oy, oyoy, that very much. Utch."

"Great!" Cassie chirped, almost beaming. "Now, there's something else that's very mildly important, but it doesn't have much to do with either Ax or Tobias."

"Hmm?" said Marco, sounding wary. "What sort of mischief does Tree Hugger Woman have planned for us now?"

"Oh, Marco, you!" she replied, shaking her head. "I was wanting to call…a study night."

"Hey, that's a great idea," Rachel said, approvingly. "My grades in…everything, really, could use a little boost. And with finals coming up next week…ugh. I don't _even_ want to think about that."

"And now we see what Xenia: Warrior Princess is _really_ like," Marco half-whispered. "She'd rather go toe-to-toe with half a dozen Hork-Bajir than study for that Algebra exam."

Maybe we were all a little bit tense. I don't know. We'd had some really tough missions over the past few weeks, and the stress level was pretty high. All I know is that that joke, as stupid as it was, was really funny right then. We laughed, even Ax and Tobias, until tears were streaming down our faces, until Tobias nearly fell out of the tree, and all of us on the ground were in a heap on the sofa. Once we'd reached that giddy exhaustion that comes after laughing really hard, we extricated ourselves and fought to catch our collective breath.

"I've gotta head home," said Jake, as he checked his watch. "We're cleaning up the house so that we can leave for my grandparents' cabin in a few weeks."

Rachel nodded. "I have to practice my gymnastics exercises. But I really would like that study night that Cassie suggested."

"Are you sure that it's safe?" asked Marco, as his eyes turned steely and cold. His strategic side was showing again. "We never want to seem like a group."

I nodded, but countered, "While you have a point, at the same time, there's going to be a whole bunch of students doing this sort of thing. It's not like it's anything special. Besides, I've agreed to help a few other students out too, so the Yeerks will probably think it's just you guys taking advantage of a sort-of friendship with me."

Tobias suggested, flitting down to perch on top of the TV. 

I blushed, and said, "Well, I have been falling a bit behind…"

Marco scoffed. "Yeah, you went from an A+ average to an A average, Zeke. If you're not very careful, you might get…" Marco made a mock gasp of horror, "…a B!"

I couldn't suppress the chuckle that Marco's joke produced. "Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. So, when will we have the study night?"

"How about Friday?" Jake asked, and the others nodded. "I think we'll be free then. Maybe you could invite Erek too, since he's got about ten thousand years on us."

Marco turned to look at his friend. "See, Jake, this is _exactly_ why I'm the one that makes the jokes. Now, what would you do if I tried to lead?"

Rachel butted in. "If you tried to lead, first I'd ignore you, and then I'd hit you over the head to try and find out what was wrong with you."

Using Cassie as a human shield, he cried, "Nooo! I'm too pretty to die!"

And, with that, the meeting finally ended. Rachel, Jake, and Marco all got on their bicycles and dispersed. Ax demorphed and cantered off, probably to get a drink and some grass into his hooves—never quite understood that eating mechanism—and Cassie set off for the barn. Tobias called a goodbye to all of us, and wheeled into the sky.

I jogged a bit to catch up with Cassie, and said, "Hey, Cassie, how's everything going?"

She smiled again, but I could see the unasked question in her eyes. "Oh, pretty well, for us anyway. My mom's off at a seminar out of state, so Dad and I have a bit more to do around the house in addition to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. And you?"

"Nothing I can complain about," I answered. "You know that idea Marco had, about him, or all of us I guess, helping Ax learn more about humanity over the summer? What did you think of that?"

"Just what I said, Zeke. I think it's a great idea. And besides, all Marco's got planned all summer is dates, so he'll have plenty of free time to show Ax around."

"Well…I was wondering. Was it really _his_ idea, Cassie?"

She sighed in mock defeat. A little more quietly than before, she asked, "Am I really that easy to read?"

"Not exactly. You hid it well…but you let your guard down a moment." I smiled. "You're not the secret-keeping kind, Cass. Unless it was important."

"Oh, alright. I'll tell you, I guess it can't hurt. I pushed it along…because I think there's something between the two. Besides, both of them are lonely, and if they're just friends, they'll become better friends."

"What do you mean…something between them?"

"Come on, Zeke. You can't tell me that you could read me but you can't read them."

We'd reached the barn, so I changed into some overalls, pulled on a pair of boots, and started helping her with her various chores and veterinary duties. "No, actually, I can't. I'm not as good at guessing what guys think. Maybe because I am one."

Cassie grinned. "Maybe." Her expression quickly became solemn again. "Zeke, I think they're interested in each other, but I don't think they even know it."

I considered the impact of what she was suggesting. "That's a big guess to make, Cassie…are you sure?"

She frowned. "No, I'm not completely sure…but that's what these little 'outings' are for. And…I'm hoping that maybe, if Marco figures himself out through this, he'll come talk to me."

"If he's gonna talk to anybody about that, Cass, it'll be you. Marco may appear all cool machismo and humor, but underneath, he has a soft side too. I think he'll open up to you, and maybe sooner than we think."

"I really hope so," she answered. "I just want him to be happy, you know? And we both know that a little happiness, a little security, can go a long way toward holding onto that little bit of sanity we have left."

"Too true," I replied, reflecting on the debacle that had happened when we made David into the eighth Animorph…and the screams we had heard as we left him on that rock. I shivered slightly.

"I just…" She trailed off. "There's too much stress already. We've got more than enough to deal with. We're fighting a war, and we can't even talk about it. Jake's got to make decisions that put his best friends' lives at risk. Marco's always thinking of contingencies, planning for any possible way that the Yeerks could figure us out. Ax is trapped on an alien planet and hasn't seen any of his own people in months, and if you don't count that time he rewrote the computer software, years."

"So you're saying we don't need the additional stress of keeping secrets from one another? We don't need to be hiding even more of ourselves from the only people in the entire world that we can trust implicitly?"

Cassie sighed, looking drained. "Exactly, Zeke. We're only teenagers. We aren't even old enough to drive, and under normal circumstances we shouldn't even have to deal with the things we do. But these aren't normal circumstances."

"A bunch of alien slugs secretly invading Earth and taking over peoples bodies? I'd wager that's not normal. I might be wrong, but…" I smiled.

"All too true," Cassie said, sighing again. This time, however, she smiled a little. "I just want Marco and Ax to know that…if there's anything that they're hiding, they don't need to. Their personal choices aren't nearly as important as fighting the Yeerks, and they don't have to deal with all that extra secrecy and lies if they don't want to."

"You're right, as usual. I hope your little plan succeeds…because if it does, I think life will be a lot less difficult for both of them. Ax especially. He'll have two people to share his troubles with, if you're right."

"If I'm right," Cassie repeated. "I can't help worrying a little bit that I'm wrong, though."

I wished Cassie one final goodbye as I walked out of the barn, and said, "We'll just have to see what we can see."


	4. Interlude I: Ellimist

((Author's Note: In this section, the Ellimist 'speaks' like a normal person. He's in his 'human form' while speaking to the Drode.))

* * *

**Interlude I: Ellimist**

We are, I am, the Ellimist.

Many beings cannot understand what I am. They do not know the story of how I came to be, they do not understand the power that I have—and the limits imposed on it. All they see is a "godlike" being who is always the 'trickster' that offers what someone wants only until they receive it.

They do not understand that I play a cosmic game. That there are rules, limits, and time constraints. That I fight a being of pure evil, who would do anything in his power to destroy or subjugate every living thing in the universe, who would sacrifice almost anything to get that kind of power. They do not understand.

But that is to be expected. They cannot see the things I see—and, in some ways, I envy them. The small band of Animorphs who fight their guerilla war against the Yeerks on the backwater Planet Earth, they are the closest to understanding who and what I am. They are among the few who have, even if only for a moment, seen what I truly am. I can say with certainty that they constitute the majority of the beings in this universe who ever _could_ understand what my existence is like, because of the war they fight.

It is not my will that I should be so secretive, so elusive. If it were my choice, if I were the only being operating at this level of existence, I would do everything in my power to spread joy, understanding, and peace. I would not interfere—that is, I would not make decisions for others—I would simply assist. Increase the likelihood that two species would connect; delay a natural disaster long enough to save precious lives. Unfortunately, none of these things can be done, because I am not alone.

For years beyond the reckoning of both humans and Andalites, I have struggled with my ultimate foe: the Crayak. He is the incarnation of false testimony, of selfishness, and of greed. Long, long ago, even before my story truly began, the Crayak was one among many beings of similar form that ruled over a distant galaxy. However, his greed and malice were great even then, and he was cast out by their combined power. Now he hungers and thirsts unendingly for power, for revenge against those who exiled him.

When he first came, neither of us wielded the power we do now. He was more powerful than I, because I was but a ship and he was much more than the sum of his parts. We battled for centuries, millennia, destroying so many beautiful worlds…so many priceless works of art. However, his first and greatest miscalculation was when he sent me into a black hole. He had thought I would be destroyed, that my essence would be obliterated. He was wrong.

I became integrated with the fabric of the universe. Perhaps it is because of my mind, made up of all those that Father had once absorbed. Perhaps it was chance. I do not know. But it enabled me to do things I had never thought possible.

Crayak became extremely afraid. He was no match for a being that had gone from merely technologically powerful to truly integrated with spacetime. His greatest fears were confirmed when he attempted to destroy a planet that would become, one day, highly influential. I intervened, shifting the planet half a year in its orbital path. Crayak knew that if our battle was to continue, he would need to join me.

And that he inevitably did. He discovered the principle behind the accident that created me, and repeated it. However, I had a slight head start on him—which I used to my full advantage, much to his consternation.

For the first time since the two of us met, we reached an agreement. We knew the potential dangers our new powers possessed; we had already lost much of the influence we had gained in our direct struggles. So we agreed to play a game. A game not entirely unlike human chess. A game where the fates of worlds hung in the balance—and where neither of us could _directly_ intervene.

This is why I was allowed to change what had been, once, on the Earth. Crayak had somehow meddled with my selection of the Animorphs—though I do not know if he understood the impact of his meddling. He is often unaware of the plans I have, of the strategies I make, and because of his ignorance I have won more than a few of our last skirmishes. The Iskoort race will survive, because of the pieces I selected. Of course, Crayak never knew that I selected them beforehand, but that is his fault and not mine.

And now a new human has joined the band, though from their perspective he was always there. Crayak hid this human boy from me—though I should not be surprised, as I hid my manipulation of who became the original Animorphs so well. Perhaps Crayak discovered an ability of Ezekiel's that I am not aware of, or saw how he could eliminate future pieces by denying me this one in the first place. Oh, if chess were like this game, no human would play—it can be difficult even for Crayak and I to keep all of our pieces in memory at times.

I studied Ezekiel. Learned about his habits, his talents (those he knew of and those he did not), and his weaknesses. He bore a strong spirit, one that when properly nurtured could rise to almost any challenge. But he was plagued with self-doubt, as well; a deep, lingering suspicion that he wasn't good enough, strong enough, or knowledgeable enough. He cared for others, just as Cassie did, but his understanding of the mind was of a different sort. Where she knew the right words to soothe, to placate, to heal, he knew the words that would open, invigorate, and encourage. Where Aximili gave them their knowledge of the universe beyond the Earth, Ezekiel brought humanity's knowledge.

And there was his propensity for sacrifice. The boy understood the value of his fellows, but too often he forgot his own. I harbor occasional concerns that he would recklessly throw away his life in a desperate bid to save another. But he is more logical than that…as long as his emotions do not override his mind. That is an issue that will have to wait, though.

Then, suddenly, I saw it. I looked deep, deep into this human boy, but now with a purpose, knowing exactly the thing I searched for. I found it, at the source of all his other talents, at the very heart of his personality, at the wellspring of his very soul.

Ezekiel was inquisitive, that much could not be denied. But it was his ability to ask _exactly_ the right question, at the right time, in the right place, of the right person. Sometimes, it is vital that the right question be asked. Questions can shape how someone looks at a subject, questions can open our eyes to things we had been blind to beforehand. And questions can give us something to quest after, a goal that drives us to achieve our ends. This was, by far, his most important trait, and one that I could use to great effect against the Crayak.

It was also the newest piece of proof that humanity was as I thought. That the world I had saved was worth it. The Crayak cannot understand the power held in the positive aspects of humanity. He sees them only as pawns, tools that can use a limited understanding in horrifically destructive ways.

Humanity is so much more. Gifts like Ezekiel's are but a reflection of their true potential. When Rachel deduced the location of the first kandrona projector, it was the faintest gleam of the wisdom and power contained in the human spirit. Aximili has seen, experienced, and been changed by the good within humanity. He has also seen the horrors that humans are capable of committing, the dark depths of atrocity that their violent history contains. And yet he still sides with them, respects them…possibly more.

Though my ability to foresee the movements of the strands of time becomes less accurate as I look deeper and deeper into the future, this I know: if humanity survives, it will achieve great things. There are possibilities for destruction and death, but there is a greater possibility for joy, unity, and understanding. If humans can learn to use their many talents and keep their darker sides in check, they may one day cross the threshold and see me as I really am.

These are speculations that should wait. The game at hand is more important than the first ten moves of the next ten games we play, even if they are all interconnected. And I now have a new piece, a new warrior to fight against the Crayak's soldiers of darkness.

Oh, yes, this new piece would greatly improve my hand, if Crayak and I played a human game of cards. This piece would greatly increase my control over the galactic 'chessboard.' But it would be a slow increase, a gradual change. Perhaps the Crayak would not notice.

"I see you have made yourself another pawn, oh Great Meddler," a sneering, snide voice said to me. I perceived the Drode, the wildcard, the servant of my enemy. I knew why he had come with his childish taunting—it was a clear message from Crayak. He knew that I had returned the universe to the path I had originally woven long before his change. He knew that I had discovered the twisted strands and that I had fixed them. "My only hope is that that piece proves less useful than even my master predicts. I assure you, he does not see the value of it that you seem to."

Another trick? Possibly. I would bide my time. "Hello, Drode," I replied, giving him neither the satisfaction of perturbing me nor any clue as to my motives. "You may look at this new development however you wish. I saw the change your master made, and corrected it. That is my right, as you well know. I follow our rules of engagement."

"I also know that Crayak enjoyed affecting your 'stacking of the deck,' as the humans would say. My, they have such useful phrases. It is such a pity that all of their languages will die out in just a scant few years, yes?" Another hideous sneer stretched across his wrinkled, purple face. "And all your Animorph meddling will be for naught."

"We shall see, Drode. We shall see." It was difficult to hide the knowledge I had gained, the understanding that my new piece could be played so powerfully…if placed in the correct situation. "Does your master fancy another duel of forces? I know there are planets he has his gaze upon."

Drode regarded me skeptically, then shrugged. "When, or if, my master desires another confrontation, you will know, Ellimist. You always have. Your interfering ways that put the Andalites to shame—or perhaps out of shame—always let you know."

I could not help a very small smile. "Then shall we continue the game from where we last played it? I believe that the Taliesin were preparing for a Characid invasion…"


	5. Chapter 3: Cassie

((Author's Note: In future "Author's Notes," I will be including my responses to some of the pior reviews and the content therein. The replies will be edited as needed to prevent any possible leakage of storyline information that I might have let slip in the reply itself. Hopefully, these will shed some light on the ideas that went into the creation of this fic, and preemptively answer some people's questions. That is all.))

* * *

**Chapter 3: Cassie**

My name is Cassie. Sometimes my friends call me Cass, for short, but usually I'm just Cassie.

I can't tell you my last name. None of us can. I can't even give you the assurance that I'm using our real names when I say that Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Marco, Zeke, and I are friends. I can't tell you what city we live in or what part of the country.

It isn't a problem of being shy, or our parents wanting to keep us safe. Sometimes, I wish it was. There are times that I wish we could go back to the way things were, when we didn't know that there were alien invasions. When our little group of seven didn't have to defend the human race.

And then there's Ax. You don't have to worry about meeting him any time soon—the Yeerks already know that he's here. And they think the rest of us are aliens, too, because we have the power to morph.

Alright, you're really confused now. Let me explain. One night, when my five human friends and I were walking home from the mall, we cut through an abandoned construction site. It's the kind of place that your parents warn you not to go through, usually with threats of grounding. And it's the kind of place that you feel more than brave enough to go through—until you're halfway there and the shadows start looking like ax murderers.

And while we were there, we met our first alien.

His name was Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, an Andalite Prince. He told us about the alien invasion of Earth, about the evil slugs called Yeerks that had begun infesting the brains of people. He also gave us a weapon to fight the invasion with: the power to morph. Now, all we have to do is touch an animal to acquire its DNA, to take its shape whenever we want.

There's only one problem with morphing. It's a time limit. Two hours is all you have in a morph. After two hours, you can't go back, you become what Andalites call a _nothlit_, a person trapped in morph. We've all come close, and Tobias became one very early on. But then, through one of the Ellimist's convoluted promises, he got back his ability to morph—and can morph _himself_ for two hours at a time.

On top of all that, we've still got to live out the normal parts of our lives, going through all the routine and day-to-day stuff. Sometimes, it gets really hard, like when Jake bombed that English test and had to write a paper to make up his grade. Or there was that time that I had to work on Algebra for a whole weekend while my parents were giving seminars at the Gardens.

Honestly, though, if it weren't for Zeke, I don't think we could have survived school. It's almost funny that we fight with Hork-Bajir and Taxxons and Human-Controllers—and Visser Three—almost twice a month and live to tell the tale, but we can't keep up with our English homework.

That's why we were all cooped up in Zeke's room, the five of us plus Erek, trying to figure out what Shakespeare was telling people in _Romeo and Juliet_. Erek raised an eyebrow, looking at Marco, and said, "I don't mean to sound egotistical, Marco, but who do you think has the most experience on Shakespeare?"

Now, Erek has a couple slight advantages over the rest of us—first, because he was an android. He, like all of the Chee, has a perfect memory, and is programmed by design and by choice to be pacifistic. They could never forget the suffering and blood like humans can, and his one memory of violence will remain fresh in his mind forever.

His second advantage was that he'd been pretending to be a human for about ten thousand years. His face, his whole body, was just a hologram designed to look and feel like a person. Inside is a tall, dog-like, silver-and-white robot. Once, hundreds of years ago, he had been an English peasant, and had seen the opening night of literally dozens of Shakespeare's plays.

Marco wore his trademark sarcastic smile. "Erek, I'd never argue with you about your memory. But HOW can a play with a murder and _two_ suicides be about _happiness_?"

Zeke, who doesn't like confrontation, stepped in. "Marco, I can see where he's right. Do you think it could be about how we should be kind our neighbors in order to seek happiness, and that if we aren't kind, we'll get what we deserve?"

Marco opened his mouth to make a smart reply, thought for a second, then closed it and continued thinking. I don't know how Zeke does that, asking questions that make you think really hard without making you feel stupid. All I can say is that it really helps now and then. We can't work together if we're at each others' throats, after all.

Erek looked to Zeke, first with a smile, then a stern and worried face. He asked, quietly, "Zeke, is there anyone else in your home?"

"My mom's still at work, and my dad's out picking up my sister from school. If there's a mission to talk about, we're safe for about half an hour."

"Good. I don't have enough details to give you just yet, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up about a new project the Yeerks have started."

Jake, instinctively assuming command, asked, "What kind of project? Is it another ground-based Kandrona projector or something?"

"Not exactly, Jake. This project is a new scientific breakthrough that the Yeerks have only begun to understand. If this think works the way the Yeerks want it to, it will speed up the invasion timetable by about six months."

"But what is it? A new weapon? Some kind of new sensor?" asked Rachel, her warrior's senses keen on potential advantages to the Yeerk cause.

"No, Rachel. Worse than that. They're designing a mass transportation gateway."

"A what?" I asked, frowning. "Sounds like something out of Star Trek."

"It is similar to the Transporters from Star Trek, yes. It's actually more like the 'star gates' from some other TV shows. Think about an opening the size of a garage door that connects two points together as if they were one."

The color drained from Zeke's face. He almost looked like he was going to be sick. "E-Erek...are they going to replace the Yeerk Pool with one of these?"

"Yes, Zeke, that's exactly their plan. The Yeerk Pool has more than the required resources to operate such a gateway, and then there would be a heavily reduced need for a ground-based Kandrona. The Yeerk Pool would become little more than a staging area, where new Yeerks are kept prior to infestation."

Marco's eyes glittered darkly. "If they move up to the mother ship, we'd lose huge amounts of reconnaissance. Not to mention, they'd be able to set up these gate things _anywhere on the planet_ for new infestation sites."

Erek looked at us stoically. "Like I said, I haven't yet heard enough to give you useful data. However, I do know this: whenever they start building this gate, it's going to need huge amounts of power. There's no way that the current generators could even come close. That will be its weakness, and if we can take out the power we might be able to prevent them from ever using it."

Jake frowned for a long moment, seeming to stare through the wall at something none of us could see. A moment later he relaxed and, for just a second, we saw a tiny bit of weariness seep out. Then he smiled and sighed.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Erek. It's not every day that we get informed about a mission well in advance, and now we can strategize. Before we get into that, though, we still have Shakespeare to cover..."

Zeke's eyes lit up, his enthusiasm for schoolwork shining through. "Plus Algebra II, Sociology, and Physics/Bio, depending on what class you're in."

I have no idea how he does it, but Zeke manages to keep his A average in tough classes, while taking double sciences, while still going on missions and fighting the Yeerks with the rest of us. As Rachel once quietly pointed out to me, his fashion sense could improve some, but he really is a nice guy and he's helped us all out of some sticky issues with school. He's the kind of brainy kid that nobody picks on because he helps everybody out. He sometimes even does volunteer tutoring at the library. Stuff like that.

He has his dark side too, though. It rarely comes out, but it's there. Just like how Marco always jokes about Rachel being Xena: Warrior Princess, or how I sometimes break down under all the stress. Except with Zeke, it isn't hot, flaring violence, or even breakdowns. It's not even like Marco, seeing the clear, unfeeling logic of a strategy that will get the job done. With Zeke, it's rage. Cold, shivering, biting rage that goes way deeper than I'd ever want to know...unless he wanted to get out of it, or get it out of him.

You'd never guess it from looking at him, or talking to him, or anything normal like that. He's almost too nice normally, willing to help with pretty much anything he can. But when he loses his rational, calm demeanor, when he slips into that rage... You don't want to be around him when his temper breaks. He took down two Hork-Bajir _by himself_ once while he was...like that, because Jake and I were pinned down and maybe bleeding to death at the time. Even though he had good reason to be fighting hard, I'm just glad that that side of him stays locked up most of the time.

I shook my head and discovered that _everyone_ was staring at me. "What? What's wrong? Did I say something?"

Erek raised a holographic eyebrow. "Actually, Cassie, it's more what you didn't say. We've been trying to ask you if you had the study guide for the Chemistry final."

Marco grinned, adding, "But you were off in la-la land. Dreaming of the day when every day is Arbor Day and dogs can vote?"

"Hey Marco, lay off," said Jake, punching Marco in the shoulder. I couldn't tell if it was playful or not, but Marco relented. "Seriously though, Cassie, what's up? You were spacing out really bad."

"I'm fine," I said, shaking my head briefly. "Just got wrapped up in my thoughts. And I've got those notes right...here." I pulled a few sheets out of my binder.

"Excellent," said Zeke, smiling. "Now we can move on..."

After three more grueling hours of study, we all felt pretty tired (except for Erek, who never feels tired) and decided to call it a day. Zeke promised that he'd keep his schedule open in case anybody had something new to talk about, and we said our goodbyes. Mr. King, Erek's 'father,' gave us rides home, careful to holographically obscure the license plate and slowly change the car's color to avoid anyone thinking we were something more than just kids going home after studying.

After getting back in the house, I changed into my 'Ralph Lauren Animal Poop Collection' outfit, as Rachel would call it, and took care of some of the animals. Most of them were already bandaged, treated, or in post-op, because I did a little overtime the night before so I could keep tonight free. My biggest chore was in getting a fox to sit still long enough to examine its lacerated leg, bandage it, and give it a general anesthetic so it could sleep peacefully for the night.

Once all of that was finished, I changed back into more normal clothing and walked through the pasture behind the farm. The evening air was cool and inviting, and the sky was beautifully clear. If I could've remembered what all the star patterns were, I could have easily traced all the constellations, but I'd have to ask Ax or Zeke for help with that. It reminded me of a time, a little more than a year ago, when Ax showed me where his star, his sun, was.

a quiet thought-speak voice said. 

"It went fine, Ax," I said, smiling. I don't know if he could see my face in the moonlight, but from wherever he was in the trees I certainly couldn't see him. "But I have some information from Erek that I thought you might want to know."

he said, an odd sound in his voice.

"What do you think about all this, Ax? I mean, this is pretty advanced stuff, even for the Yeerks..." I entered the edge of the woods so that I could speak more quietly and so we could both see each other better.

he answered, sounding almost worried. 

"What do you mean, harm?" I asked, concerned by the delicate way that he phrased his answer. "Is it some kind of radiation?"

__

I frowned heavily. "But the Yeerks want to leave it open all of the time, for transporting supplies to and from the pool ship...what might that do?"

"Thanks for telling me, Ax. If that's also true for humans...that makes destroying this thing a top priority. Even more than it already was..."

he answered simply. 

I laughed at the thought of Tobias and Ax sitting in front of a television and watching reruns of some old show. "What is it?"

"Oh, Gilligan's Island!" I cried, smiling widely. "That's one of Tobias' favorites. Along with _The Young and the Restless_, but you already knew that. Goodnight, Ax. I hope you enjoy the TV show."

As I walked back to my house, I thought over what I had just heard. _Marco_ recommended it to him...not Tobias. That meant that Marco had talked with Ax outside of a meeting or mission—which was something he didn't do very often. I knew it was just another piece of the puzzle between the two of them...but I still didn't know what to do with it. I just didn't know enough to be absolutely sure. Like they say in court cases, I still had some reasonable doubt.

Unfortunately, only time would tell.


	6. Chapter 4: Rachel

((Author's Note: This is the first installment of the "Replies to Reviews" that will appear in the ANs of future chapters and interludes. I will (more or less) put up the answers to reviews from oldest to newest (IE doing those replies that came first). However, if a more recent review sparks a very interesting, important, or noteworthy reply from me, I may put that up first. Not all replies will be put up here. Now, to the info. This one focuses on the changes I've made in the "Animorphs: The Alternative" universe, as well as why I started this fic in the first place.

Very roughly speaking, this story is set sometime after #26 "The Attack," and sometime before #32 "The Separation." My idea is that, with the exception of having Zeke in tow, all Animorph books prior to #32 are accurate (for missions/events and the like). I've sort of deviated from the "middle school" idea because I think that the characters are more versatile if they're a little older (ie around 14 years old, about to graduate from middle school, etc.).

I have a variety of reasons for why I considered (and obviously started) writing this Animorphs fic. One of the biggies is that I didn't like some of the character changes that occurred in Rachel and Marco, and some of the later plot developments (partially because I stopped buying the books around #30.). This is my attempt to "retcon" the story to (a) something I'd enjoy reading as an older teen/young adult and (b) something I personally like better.

One of the reasons that I'm including the Marco/Ax is that this gives me a personal underlying plot. Because I plan for this alternative universe to encompass more than one work (translation: because there will be sequels to "The Alternative") I kind of wanted to have a continuing story _other_ than the war agains the Yeerks, that I could call my own. On top of that, I really think that Marco and Ax make a cute couple. (Marco's sarcasm and humor coupled with Ax's total inability to understand human jokes? Priceless.) However, this Author's Note is dragging on a little long, so I'll shut up and you can read the thing you_ actually_ came here to read.))

* * *

**Chapter 4: Rachel**

Hi. My name's Rachel.

If you're expecting a phone number, or even a last name, tough luck. It's not that I'm afraid you'll stalk me or something. It isn't even that my mom doesn't like me telling other people the family name. If only it were that easy, I'd probably tell you anyway.

But it's not about those things. See, I'm trying to stay alive, and I'm trying to make sure that my friends stay alive too. We can't be too careful, so we trust nobody at all. Because if they found us…well…we just won't let them find us. The Yeerks know how to do things, and frequently _do_ do things, that are so much worse than death.

Long story short: Earth is being invaded. But it's not by little green men from Mars with gigantic machines and huge laser beams. It isn't even like those things from "Independence Day" that only wanted the Earth for its resources. If it were, we'd probably all be dead by now anyway.

It's much more subtle than that. The Yeerks don't care about land—they've got plenty of planets already. They don't care about resources, except maybe for whatever they build their ships out of. I'm pretty sure they don't need a much in that department, either, considering all the stuff they have. This is a secret war for something much, much more valuable than that. This is a war over the human race.

In their natural state, Yeerks are greyish slugs, a little more than six inches long. They're pretty much helpless—totally blind, deaf, and mute. I don't know how they 'see' like that, and honestly I really don't care to. But they're only in their natural state for a little while, to bathe in the Kandrona rays they need in order to survive, to gather some nutrients and things they can't get any other way.

The thing is, the Yeerks are parasites. They slip through your ear, squeezing past muscle and bone and tissue, until they reach your brain. Then they stretch out, becoming a big grey sheet, and they wrap around the outside of their host's brain. They fill all the little crevices, all the dips and troughs in the grey matter, and then they take over.

Of course, once this happens, you'd still be fully aware and conscious. You would still see through your eyes, smell with your nose, feel everything you should feel. It's just that you wouldn't have any control anymore. It's like being in the back seat of a car. You can still look out the windows and everything, but you aren't driving anymore.

They've already infested a lot of people, people we call Human-Controllers. They're everywhere—government, military, science, religion, even famous people. So we have to keep a low profile, when we aren't on a mission. We can't let anyone suspect who we are or what we can do. If we get caught, it's the end for the human race, and we just won't accept that option.

The reason we're fighting this war, the reason that we know about the invasion at all, is because we did something stupid one night. We were at the mall, and needed to get home soon, so we cut through an abandoned construction site instead of taking the long way around. We thought it would save a lot of time and wouldn't cause any trouble. I don't think we've been more wrong.

In the middle of the construction site, an alien ship landed, and its Andalite pilot told us about the war. Elfangor told us that we had to fight these Yeerks, because his people wouldn't be coming to help us for a long time. He also gave us a powerful weapon: the ability to morph into any animal we've touched.

Morphing is a very powerful weapon, and we've used it time and again to defeat the Yeerks, but it can destroy the people who use it too. If you stay in a morph longer than two hours, you can never go back. You're trapped in whatever shape you took, and you can never morph again. The Andalites call anyone trapped in morph a "_nothlit_."

The Yeerks think that we're a group of Andalites that survived the crash of the Dome Ship. Of course, them thinking that doesn't hurt us at all, so we try to keep them thinking that. If they ever suspected that we're human, at least most of us…I wouldn't want to even think about the things they would do to us.

I bet you're wondering who "we" are. As I said earlier, I'm Rachel. Everybody seems to think I'm this fearless Amazon warrior that can't wait for the next battle. In truth, I'm scared just as much as they are. With the kind of things we've seen, I'd have to be literally insane to have no fear. I'm afraid almost all the time, but I don't let it bug me. It's like that one movie where they talk about fear being the 'mind killer.' I face my fears and confront them, instead of suppressing them and dealing with them later.

Then there's my cousin, Jake. I know he never asked to be leader, but he is. It just seems…right. Whenever we have big decisions to make, we always turn to him. Marco calls him sensible, I just say that he's good at making decisions and getting people to agree with him. Sort of charismatic, in the "wow I should respect this guy" kind of way.

Marco is Jake's best friend. His _incredibly annoying_ best friend. They've been friends since before they were toddlers, so of course I've gotten used to Marco. He's somewhat cute, and fairly smart, though he has a really excessive ego at times. And even if I wouldn't admit it to him face to face, he can be very funny. Of course, his jokes are stupid as often as not, but nobody's perfect.

My best friend, Cassie, is one of those sweet, non-confrontational types. She and I are as different as night and day, but it's never hurt our friendship. I swear, though, you'd think she was colorblind or something. It takes me half an hour of poking and prodding just to get her _one_ outfit. Then again, she spends so much time working with her father in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic (AKA her barn) and doing volunteer work at The Gardens that I'm surprised that she has any free time at all, especially for things like clothes. She's a great listener, though, and she knows just the right things to say to make you feel better or to diffuse an argument peacefully.

Zeke, the next member of our group, and the last _completely_ human one, is sort of our group 'nerd.' He's really nice, and he can look oddly cute when he gets the right outfit together. He can be even worse than Cassie about fashion, though the geeky look kind of suits him. To his credit, Zeke is certainly one of the most intelligent people I've ever met, which has really helped us out with school.

Tobias was our first casualty, trapped in a red-tailed hawk body. He used to be a dopey, sweet guy with out-of-control sandy hair and a dreamy look in his eyes. Now, he always looks fierce and angry, but that's just the way hawks look. Because of a "gift" that the Ellimist gave him, he can morph again, and he can even morph back into his old body for two hours at a time.

And then there's Ax, definitely the weirdest member of our little ragtag army. He is Elfangor's younger brother, so obviously he's an Andalite, with the stalk eyes, the wicked scythe-like tail, blue fur, and everything. Sometimes he can be a pain, like all Andalites who have that nerve-grating pride. Usually, though, he's very helpful, and he's always very brave. More than once, we've pulled out of tight situations because of that lightning-fast tail of his.

The fact that we've survived at all, let alone the tough times, is amazing. When I'm not trying to manage a personal life, on top of school stuff, on top of growing up, on top of saving the world (in other words, whenever I catch a few minutes of free time), sometimes I think about how lucky we are to even be alive. Ax could've died when the Andalite ship was blown up by the Yeerks; we all could've kicked the bucket at the construction site, or literally dozens of times afterward, every single time we've gone up against the Yeerk invasion here on Earth. And that doesn't even include the times that we've traveled through time, been snapped into X-space or whatever Ax calls it, gone to alien planets to fight wars, and had to make choices for the _entire_ human race.

To be honest, we should be dead. Maybe it's against the rules of engagement in the insane game that the Ellimist and the Crayak play. Maybe we can never really win, but neither can the Yeerks. Or maybe it's God, or karma, or sheer dumb luck. I don't know. Really, you'd have to talk with Zeke about that one, he's sort of the only member of the group that's seriously thought about religious things. Or maybe Jake, since his family still practices Jewish tradition, even if they're not heavily into it. Whatever it is that's kept us alive this long, I hope it stays around, because I know that the Yeerks aren't giving up any time soon.

It was lunchtime, the Monday after we'd had our little study group. My first finals were coming up in the next couple days, but since we hadn't had any do-or-die missions in almost a month, I was beginning to feel well rested. I actually hadn't snuck a cup of coffee this morning, which surprised me. I brought my lunch tray over to where Cassie was sitting, noticing that she seemed more upbeat and energized than usual, too.

"Hey Cassie," I said, smiling. "What's up?"

She smiled and answered, "Well, I just took my biology final. My class was taking it early this year because we had a couple of seniors that'll be graduating soon."

"How do you think you did?"

"Pretty good, I think," she said, sighing slightly. "That study night really helped. Zeke sure knows his stuff about this sort of thing, and having Erek there definitely didn't hurt either."

"Didn't he say he was like, an assistant to some famous chemist, Avogadro or something?"

Suddenly, I noticed that very android with the corner of my eye, and my stomach flip-flopped. I had really started to enjoy the small-talk banter when he asked if he could sit with us. Of course, we let him, but I couldn't help the sense of dread as he sat down. I regarded his smile cautiously, worried that it was going to be another of his false fronts put up to fool our classmates.

"How are you two doing?" he asked, sounding unusually cheerful.

"I'm good," Cassie said, frowning slightly.

I'm sure my face looked very much the same when I said, "Me too. What's up, Erek? Cassie just mentioned you."

He lowered his voice slightly. "Yes, I heard. My hearing is much better than a human's. And I was an assistant to Newton, not Avogadro. He was very eccentric, but his lectures on religion, science, and philosophy were superb for his time."

"I don't mean to be really blunt," I said, "but I hope you have something more for us than reminiscing about famous people you knew. And I hope even more that it's not something bad."

"For once, Rachel, I'm not the bearer of bad news," Erek replied, holographically smiling. "That…physics project that I told you guys about? The ones our…_friends_…are building? They're having trouble finding something to power it. In fact, it may be a little more than a month before they'll be able to use it."

Cassie looked overjoyed. "Perfect! That'll give Rachel time to go to gymnastics camp. Oh, and…it'll give Jake's family and mine the chance to stay at the cabins up on the mountain the week after that."

"Good. It sounds like you guys might be getting a reprieve for a little while. Our friends are throwing everything they've got into finding a big enough generator, and it's keeping the Vissers quite busy."

"Thank goodness," I said, sighing heavily as I continued to eat. "About freaking time that we get cut some slack. I'm sick of the constant fighting, having one or two or three missions every month…it's just frustrating and draining."

Erek responded in a good-natured, jesting voice, "Try pretending to be an alien for ten thousand years. Believe me, I've been there, even if it doesn't seem like it. And I know that all of you deserve the break."

A few days later, Jake called a meeting together at the mall. Of course, it wasn't going to be a normal kind of meeting, like it would be at Cassie's barn, where we'd all drop by at about the same time and talk for a while. We had to plan this kind of meeting very delicately, so the Yeerks would never suspect that we met a little _too_ much or got together a little _too_ often. We split into three groups, Marco and Jake, Tobias and Ax, and Cassie, Zeke, and I.

According to what I'd told my parents (and, I assume, what Zeke had told his) I was taking Zeke shopping for new clothes as a thank-you for the homework help. Of course, getting a perfect score on my chem. final didn't hurt our cover story at all. As it was, Cassie and I had picked out a set of clothes for Zeke to try on, though we'd spent the better part of half an hour doing it.

"Cassie, those pants _completely clash_ with that sweater," I said, exasperated. I don't know how matching a shirt to a pair of pants could be THIS hard, but that's just me.

"Rachel, I know that you want him to look his absolute best," she replied, smiling, "but this sweater is something I know he'll wear. It's comfortable, it fits him, and most of all it doesn't look ultra-trendy. You know that he doesn't care for clothing that's too…formal-looking."

I sighed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Marco chose that moment, of all the possible times he could choose, to walk in. "Did I just hear Her Majesty, the Fashion Queen, concede defeat to Mrs. "I wear overalls that are six inches too short"? I am shocked and dismayed, Rachel. You wound me."

"If you keep this up, Marco, you WILL be wounded."

Cassie, who was behind Marco and Jake, looked at me. She looked at me with _the look_, the sorrowful one, like I was doing something that made her heart bleed. _I hate it when she gives me that…look,_ I thought. I stopped gesturing threateningly at Marco.

Marco smiled widely, that goofy grin that occasionally gets on my nerves. He also slipped around behind Jake, maybe hoping to use his friend as a human shield. "Aw, c'mon Rachel. Lighten up a little. It was just a joke."

"I know," I said, laughing. "And I wasn't exactly serious either." Cassie smiled, and I hid my relief in a small sigh. However, in order to make sure I kept our cover story up, I continued, "What brings you two out here? I thought you didn't like shopping?" As much as I said it for cover, it was also kind of nice to be the one poking fun at Marco for a change.

"We don't," Jake added, filling his voice with believable, but false, annoyance. "Your jokester here ripped my favorite shirt, so we're getting a replacement."

Marco gave Jake a sidelong look. "To be fair, I ripped it because he attacked me."

"And I attacked you because you asked for it!"

"That's totally beside the point," Marco countered haughtily. "Just because I said that Spiderman could kick Batman's behind _while blindfolded_…and that Batman was a wuss, doesn't mean you had to attack me."

Cassie and I both rolled our eyes, sighed, and simultaneously said, "Boys."

Winding his way through the racks of clothes, Zeke came forward, carrying an armload of different outfits. He leaned against the nearest rack, smiling. "Firstly, Marco, you should remember that Nightcrawler could take out _both_ Batman and Spiderman at the same time." This earned him playful scowls from the other two boys. "And secondly, Rachel, you've got excellent taste in clothes. However, I'm a little tired of shopping, maybe we could catch a bite to eat?"

Jake turned serious and said, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I saw Tobias and cousin Philip heading that direction, maybe we could meet up with them."

"Oh, no," I said with a groan. "A—I mean, Philip…around food?"

"Dangerous combination," Marco agreed. "Perhaps we should save the both of them before he tries to eat an entire tray of cinnamon buns…_again_."

We laughed as we made our way to the food court, continuing to make idle chitchat. For some reason, I had started feeling uneasy, like we were missing something, but I shrugged it off as paranoia. I mean, after all, it's not like the Yeerks could watch us all the time or anything. To them we're just a bunch of kids—at least, we hope we're just a bunch of kids to them. If they suspected even the slightest issue, they could easily infest Jake through his brother and we'd all be dead. Or worse…the Yeerks know of many things _much_ worse than death.

We finally hooked up with Tobias and Ax. They were lounging at a table outside of Cinnabon, as Marco had rightly guessed. It looked like Ax had tried to break the world record for the number of cinnamon rolls eaten in one sitting, because his face was just covered with icing and cinnamon powder. Tobias was trying to help him get it off of his face, but it was mostly just smearing it around.

Cassie, being the most motherly of the group, took a moment to help him with the mess on his face. As she dipped a napkin in water and dabbed the stuff off, she said, "Has Erek talked to any of you guys recently? He had some very…interesting news about our friends and their science project."

Marco shook his head, saying, "I haven't seen Erek all week, except in Paulsen's class, and we didn't talk. How about you, Jake?"

"I haven't talked to him either. He passed me in the hall yesterday, smiling, and I think he was going to talk to me, but then the bell rang and we had to get to class. What did he have to say?"

"That their "science project" needs more power than they can put out. A lot more. It's going to be at least a month before they can find or build something big enough to support it. "

"That means, eens," said Ax, playing with words again, "that they will almost surely, be too preoccupied, awk, to do anything else. It is even possible, though unlikely, that they will reduce the number of people here in order to increase their forces elsewhere. If what Erek says is true, we are very lucky. Ucky. Kee. Uck-kee."

I saw relief wash through Jake's expression. "It couldn't come at a better time. I was really worried that Cassie and I would have to skip out of the stay at the cabin, which would look really bad to our parents. Even better, Rachel and Zeke are going off to camps soon, so we won't have to worry about that, either."

"We shouldn't get too relaxed, though," I said. "It's still possible that they've got another plan up their sleeve. Maybe they'll try connecting it to the city's power plant…I know there's supposed to be a nuclear reactor off on the other side of the mountain."

Zeke, who had been unusually silent up to that point, said, "I really doubt that they'd do that, Rachel. The kind of energy use we're talking about is insane. I doubt if all the nuclear reactors on Earth could power that thing."

"Your concerns are spoken like a true warrior," Ax agreed. "However, it would take at least an antimatter reactor, possibly a quantum-level magnetohydrodynamic generator to power this device. Such systems are extremely large and expensive."

"Whoa there, Ax-man!" Marco said, holding up his hands. "English, please."

Zeke chuckled. "He was speaking English, Marco. Perhaps not necessarily ways that we'll be speaking it any time in the next hundred years, but that _was_ English."

"Sounded like technobabble to me," Marco grumbled.

"Well, whatever the reason and technology, we've got a break," I said, trying to keep things somewhat on-task. "Personally, I'm glad. I know you all think of me as the Amazon princess of the group, but sometimes I just want to relax."

Jake raised an eyebrow, looking at me strangely. "You feeling alright, Rachel?"

Marco gave a look of mock horror. "Oh, no. Xena doesn't want to fight anymore. Jake, we're in very, very big trouble. Who's gonna volunteer for all the insane stuff we have to do now?"

"Marco, stop." Remarkably, Cassie had said that. "I don't know about you guys, but with all the intensity and length of the missions we've had lately—especially the one up north, I've gotten sick of constantly fighting too. I'm really glad that we'll be getting this break, even if it's only for a month. We're actually going to live semi-normal lives for a little while, and I think everybody, including Rachel, can appreciate that."

After hearing that, I really didn't have much to add. We continued to talk for a while, about a variety of things, but then Tobias and Ax had to go demorph, so Jake and Marco decided to head out too. Zeke, Cassie, and I headed back to the clothing areas, where we quickly picked out a nice, trendy outfit for him.

"Now, Zeke, promise me you'll wear this more often than every once in a while, okay? It looks really good on you."

Zeke smiled that odd, kind of gentle smile of his. He looked both amused and serious, happy and chastised. It was kind of funny, and almost cute. "Alright, alright. I promise I'll wear it. It's really comfortable, anyway, which is nice. Thanks, Rachel."

After I paid for the clothes, we split up; Cassie would be catching a ride back to my house, because she was, for the first time in several months, _actually_ spending the night, instead of telling her parents that that was where she would be and secretly going on a mission instead. Zeke was apparently hopping on a bus that passes fairly close to his house. Once he'd passed out of sight, Cassie turned and smiled to me.

"You weren't joking about it looking good on him, Rachel. That was a really cute outfit for him."

I smiled back with a devilish grin. "I do what I can."


	7. Interlude II: Tobias

((Author's Note: This interlude was inspired by a review from Ember Nickle, who mentioned that it would be a good idea to obliquely reference Zeke as a minor character from one of the "original" stories. Thus, here we have my rendition of the last chapter of Animorphs #13, _The Change_, where Tobias first uses his human morph to see Rachel receive the Packard Foundation Outstanding Student Award.

Now, for the "Author's Reply" section. This week (or however often it is that I update) I'm discussing why I've put Zeke into the stories. It has been mentioned to me that many of Zeke's lines are potentially ones from Tobias or Ax--and sadly, therein lies the rub.

Basically, I created Zeke because I feel that there is a role missing from the series. Applegate showed us a variety of people:  
1. the token "unwilling but natural leader;"  
2. the warrior-princess (which, I recently discovered, is an actual literary device, lol) who combines girly-girl with ferocity;  
3. the "funny man" who hides a ruthlessly logical side;  
4. the nature-attuned "counselor" and emotional anchor;  
5. the token "tortured soul", a good guy who has to live through a life of suffering, but comes out better because of it;  
6. the "honorable warrior" dealing with discovering dishonorable secrets about his race (and the token "alien who doesn't understand humans")

In all of this, I felt that a couple roles were left out, and I put them into Zeke. He's got aspects of Tobias and Ax (nice guy and knowledgable), bits of Marco and Cassie (humor/occasional cinicism, and empathy), and a darker side similar to Rachel (a deep, feral rage that is sealed beneath his calm demeanor). I felt that spirituality, a real focus on science (not the mediocre scienciness of the more advanced Andalite warrior), and the token "shut-in, naive nerd" were all missing from the original group.  
Sadly, it's impossible to make a new character have nothing in common with the current ones, and I sort of planned that he would foil aspects of various characters. In order to make him significantly different ehough, I'd either have to make him a Mary Sue/Gary Stu, which I don't want to do, or I'd have to reduce his role in the stories, which I don't want to do either. It's a damned if I do, damned if I don't, damned if I just sit here and twiddle my thumbs proposition, unfortunately..))

* * *

**Interlude II: Tobias**

_The "Original" Universe, From Animorphs #13,_ The Change; _this time, including Zeke_.

The next day, Monday, was the Packard Foundation ceremony that would honor all of the students receiving the award at the school this year. My school, or at least my old school, was one of the few in the country to have so many Outstanding Students—five, counting Rachel. I guess it was a sign of accomplishment, or something. Chapman's Yeerk enjoyed the limelight.

I didn't really know the other four students that would receive the award. I mean, I sort of knew them, since I'd gone to school with them on and off for several years. It was just that the time I had spent as a hawk was more then enough for me to forget anything I knew about them, which wasn't much to begin with. They had become no more than names on a page, faceless classmates who were ahead of the curve.

The whole school was excited about the ceremony. Obviously, the awardees and their families were amped up, and the faculty felt justifiable pride in their students. The rest of the students were happy because the ceremony would eat up a big chunk of the day, right after lunch, so they'd just have to put up with sitting still for an hour and a half on the gym floor before being let out.

I couldn't be there for the early part of the ceremony—a reading of some speech by Chapman, plus some official representative person listing off the requirements for someone to win the award. I had to be careful: unlike anyone else there, I had a time limit. A two-hour time limit, of which I was more intimately aware than anyone. Plus, no one in that auditorium had to walk from the edge of the woods to the school and back within that limit.

As I snuck in, though a back entrance that had been left ajar, a hall monitoring teacher noticed me. She gave me an odd look, like she knew who I was but couldn't put her finger on it, and shooed me off to the auditorium. While I was looking to find a seat, the winners stood and prepared to receive the actual Packard Foundation plaque and the certificate that made up the award. Unable to quickly find a seat, I stood at the end of the center aisle between groups of seated students.

The first two were girls I didn't recognize, one Asian-looking and the other somewhat Hispanic. The third guy seemed very vaguely familiar, though I wasn't sure that I recognized the name "Ezekiel." It was probably just someone I had known before I got trapped in hawk morph, someone who sympathized with me instead of bullying me.

He looked odd, too—he had this outward front of happy acceptance, but his body language seemed troubled and frightened. Of course, if I'd been an ordinary human, I wouldn't have noticed, but I'm neither ordinary nor fully human anymore. I'd seen that look on dozens of faces, though most of them belonged to animals. Especially the really beat up ones in Cassie's barn, the ones that had been abused or neglected. He looked wary, like he was always on alert for potential threats. Basically, he looked like he always had a defensive front set up, just waiting for the next bit of hurt to be piled on.

I felt a stab of pity and empathy, things I rarely felt anymore. I knew what it was like to feel that way, being shunted from unloving home to unloving home, having no one to love or to give love back. He looked worse for it though, like he'd lived with some nightmares that even being an Animorph couldn't top.

I also noticed that, as he walked off the stage, there were no welcoming arms. The rest of them had at least one parent or relative there, warm and congratulating, celebrating their son's or daughter's achievement. Ezekiel stood alone, clutching his award as he waited for the rest of the ceremony to end. For a fleeting moment, his guise of happiness dropped, and the stoic, numb face of a boy forcibly aged beyond his years showed through. He raised the disguise after that very brief lapse, so soon that anyone who had been idly looking would think that he was just tired or bored and not something else.

Sighing, I turned to see Rachel, the last of the participants in the presentation, walk across the stage and receive her award. Of course, she was decked out in an outfit from the height of fashion, looking like a movie star. She flashed a brilliant smile as the photographer snapped her picture, then proceeded offstage to join the others. They walked in a single-file line out toward the door.

Cassie, sitting right at the edge of her row, gave Rachel a wink as she walked past; Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed, giving in to a bit of self-mockery. Of course, she couldn't help a little bit of swagger in her step, but I think anyone would agree that she'd earned it today. Marco, ever being a joker, made a flourishingly fake bow, as if he were kneeling before some member of royalty, a queen or duchess.

When she neared the end of the aisle, I stepped out of the shadows. At first, her eyes merely passed over me indifferently, seeing nothing more than another face in the crowd, another admirer or distant acquaintance. Then she did a double-take, the shock and happiness visible in her face. She stopped walking and stared at me, wide-eyed.

"Hi, Rachel," I said with a human voice. My human voice.


	8. Chapter 5: Ax

((Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long to update... I've been rather busy with school and stuff. However, I'm on Winter Break until January 8th, so I'll have lots of time to continue this story. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed writing it.  
Anyway, I hope this chapter isn't too sappy. It's wintertime, it's cold, and right now the weather is miserable around where I live, so a little splash of joy felt like the right thing to write. Hope you enjoy it! And the continued foreshadowing of what will happen between two people I won't name *cough*M/A*cough*. Anyway, the next chapter unfolds...))

* * *

**Chapter 5: Aximili**

My name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. And I am highly confused. This seems to be an annoyingly common event while I live among these Humans of Earth. Their ways are just...so alien. Sometimes that is bewildering and frustrating, trying to understand and interact with people that are so alien and yet...like a second family to me.

Sometimes, however, the different ways and strange thoughts of my friends—my _adopted_ people—are wonderful and enlightening. Their determination, adaptability, and diversity are astounding. As the Ellimist said, the first time we met him, "In all the universe, no greater beauty. In a thousand, thousand worlds, no greater art than this." The Humans may not be as technologically advanced as Andalites, and we may not agree on a lot of things at times, but their people and their world are among the most amazing in the entire galaxy.

I remember something Tobias once said to me, when I finally opened up to my human friends.  For the first time, I saw a whole new way of thinking about other races, especially these humans. We Andalites are taught, from a young age, that we cannot trust outsiders. Few races we have encountered are more powerful than we are, but many of them we meet with fear. Consider the Ellimist...whatever he may be. Those that are below us technologically are given assistance, but no relationship, like the human phrase "turning a cold shoulder." We don't mix, don't share. It's rare to see many aliens on the Andalite homeworld, other than the diplomats. We keep to ourselves, they keep to themselves, and that's just the way it is.

It doesn't have to be that way; the humans can show us a new path. Although many Andalites believe that differences divide us, I have learned from these humans that differences can unite us on an even stronger level. Those who are all the same only have the same strengths, and fall before the same weaknesses. But those who are different... Differences are what make us unique. The strength of one race can help make up for the weakness of another. I think that, one day, these humans may lead the Andalites and other major races into a new era. But that will only happen if they do not fall pray to their _own_ weaknesses.

That didn't prevent my confusion, though. The reason that I was confused today is that I saw my friends enter Cassie's barn without informing me of a meeting. Tobias stayed with me, saying that they were probably just studying or talking about something else. I raised my stalk eyes to look into my _shorm_'s fierce face, not entirely believing what he'd said.

I said, unable to prevent a skeptical tone in my thought-speak. 

_ He sounded flippant._

__

Things had been unusual in the past week. I believe it was a Saturday, by the Gregorian calendar used in the United States. The others had just recently finished their school term and were starting the extended break period known as "summer." I'd also noticed that Zeke and Cassie had both asked me some slightly unusual questions a short time ago, such as how old I was and what my interests were. Normally it wouldn't have been a problem, except...hmm. Perhaps I am learning more about human speech patterns, because it seemed that they were asking for reasons that they weren't telling me.

Of course, I answered the questions honestly. I am grateful beyond words for the hospitality and kindness that they have shown me. They are my comrades, my fellow warriors, and the closest thing I have to family apart from my parents. There is no honorable thing that I would not do for them if it were in my power.

The second question—what I was interested in—came easily enough. Even though I have read several human books, which were all fascinating and enlightening, none of them were books that a typical human would read for enjoyment. (Marco assures me that while he may tease Zeke about reading the dictionary, most humans do not participate in such an activity.) They were all facts. Because I wish to know about the culture of the people of Earth, I told them that I would like to read some human _stories_. I believe they are called "novels."

The first question was unexpected. They know that I am, roughly speaking, in an age group similar to theirs. On Earth, the term is 'adolescent.' Unfortunately, because the orbit of the Andalite homeworld is different from that of Earth, it was difficult for me to accurately convey my exact age. I remember explaining the Andalite calendar to a fascinated Zeke.

_djrala_,> I said.  I related the different Andalite equivalents of months and days and how they fit into the grand scheme. The Andalite calendar can be a little complicated because it was once based on the cycles of our four moons.

"So, if I'm not mistaken," Zeke said, frowning with concentration, "that means that an Andalite year—a _djrala_—is a little more than one and a half Earth years?"

"So that would make you...almost fifteen. In Earth years I mean. About the same as the other Animorphs, basically."

Of course, I had more or less forgotten about that discussion until recently. Zeke is always curious about Andalite customs, beliefs, and culture, just as I am curious about humans. It is nice, sometimes, to exchange information about our two races, even if the exchange is a little one-sided. However, the question about my age had perturbed me more than any of the previous questions. I had already told them that I was more or less the same as they are, so I could not understand why my exact age—in Andalite years or Human years—could be important.

Finally, I reached the barn. I could not shake a feeling that something odd was going on, especially since the barn was eerily quiet. It is almost always filled with the sounds of recovering Earth animals that Cassie and her father have nursed back to health. Today, however, there were fewer occupied cages. Also, I could not see anyone else inside, with my main eyes or my stalk eyes, and so the animals were all fairly quiet as they inspected me, an unknown and strange creature in their midst.

Suddenly, from several directions at once, voices shouted "Surprise!" My human friends popped out from behind various hiding places, each holding a package wrapped in brightly colored paper. Tobias had morphed into his human shape so that he could also hold a vividly red box, whose bow was yellow with small, somewhat cone-shaped symbols on it. The other packages were similar in design, though their size varied.

_ I said, slightly annoyed and confused. _

"Oh, c'mon Ax, live a little," Marco said, smiling. "Surprise parties are all about not knowing what's happening."

Cassie exhaled and showed a slightly lop-sided grin. "Well, it's not like we were really discreet about it..."

I said, still rather confused. 

"Don't tell me that Andalites don't celebrate birthdays, Ax!" Rachel said, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

"Well Ax, here on good old Earth," said Prince Jake, holding a green package, "we celebrate birthdays a little more. We give presents to the person and usually we eat some kind of cake."

I asked, so pleased that I nearly forgot the mention of a new food. But only nearly. 

"Cake, my friend," said Marco, "is one of the most wonderful substances known to mankind. It can be made with chocolate, or vanilla, or strawberry, or any of a dozen different flavors. And it is extremely yummy."

"We've got the cake inside," added Cassie with a gentle smile. "I figured it was a little too dirty out here to give out pieces of cake."

Zeke said, "I think it's probably a good idea if Ax opens his presents first and then goes inside. We wouldn't want to waste his two hours in human morph."

Though I desired very strongly to encounter this new food called 'cake,' and to discover what the meaning of the word "yummy" was, I had to agree with Zeke. There would always be time to morph to human in a little while, but I could not always be in the barn as an Andalite.

The gift from Zeke was not totally unexpected—an assortment of "science fiction" and fantasy novels and stories that he had recommended to me. Cassie gave me a heater for nights when it would get cold, and Rachel gave me some new human clothes to wear when not on a mission. Prince Jake gave me a book of logic puzzles. Tobias gave me a Rubix Cube, which he had scrambled for me. Finally, I came to Marco's package, which was one of the smallest of the group.

"What did you get, Marco?" Rachel asked, intrigued by the small rectangular gift he held. "That's not a very big box."

"Hey, Xena, big things can come in small packages you know. Here, Ax, I thought you'd like these." He held out the present, and its blue wrapping glinting slightly under the bare lights of the barn.

I opened the small package and, amid the tissue and packing material, I found two small plastic cards. One had the word "Cinnabon" written on it in a stylized fashion and the number 100 in one corner. The other had a few words I didn't recognize, though I knew what the word "Library" meant. Briefly, I wondered what a human library would look like.

Zeke's eyes widened. "No, Marco...you didn't. You didn't get Ax, of all people, a _one hundred dollar_ gift card to Cinnabon."

Prince Jake's mouth dropped open. I believe there is a human phrase about "one's jaw hitting the floor" that fairly accurately described what was going on. "Marco, are you sure you're feeling well?"

Rolling his eyes, Marco said, "Yes, Jake, I know what I'm doing. I'll keep the card with me. Whenever Ax wants to go to a Cinnabon, all he has to do is ask me. And, if he doesn't blow it all on one sitting, this could last him a while."

I held up the other card, that had a name followed by "County Library" on it. 

"Okay, Marco, that makes up for the Cinnabon thing," said Zeke, as he began to smile again. "Ax will _love_ the main library building downtown. Maybe you guys should go down there soon."

Marco smiled again. This time, it was somewhat lop-sided, large on one side and only a little curve on the other. I had seen this smile on other people before, and I believe it is called "smug." He was proud of himself, proud that he had made me happy...

I then noticed that everyone was looking at me because my main eyes were staring generally in Marco's direction. Rachel waved her hand a few feet in front of my face and said, "Hey, Ax. Ax! Earth to Ax, come in please. I know you're excited but you're starting to scare me."

Marco looked at Rachel, feigning offense. "Hey, I thought you said I was the only one allowed to make stupid jokes around here."

"Yes, but you see, my jokes aren't stupid, Marco." Rachel flashed a smile back at Marco.

His face was serious but he sounded amused when he replied, "Touché."

After we had finished disposing of the torn wrapping paper, I morphed to human and dressed in my new clothes. I particularly enjoyed the soft feel of the pants against my human legs—while clothing may not be a necessary thing for Andalites, I have discovered that it can be another pleasant aspect of being in human form. Cassie complimented Rachel on how well she'd guessed my sizes, and Prince Jake agreed. As we entered the house, I thanked everyone again for their thoughtfulness.

* . * . *

One and a half Earth hours later, I was sprawled out on a soft chair in Cassie's living room. My stomach felt very large and I didn't feel like moving very much. The others were seated nearby, in various places around the room. Zeke had turned on the TV and was searching for something interesting to watch, while Marco provided his input.

"I told you not to eat that seventh piece," Prince Jake said, smiling slightly.

Marco added, "Ax, I have to say, you've amazed me. I don't know how you managed to eat all that cake without puking it back up again."

I grunted in response, unable to mount much in the way of defense. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Ime. Mmm. I think I will try to eat less from now on."

Cassie patted my shoulder as she passed me on her way to the kitchen. "That sounds like a good choice, Ax. At least you don't have to worry about gaining any weight from it, though."

Somehow, I didn't find that very consoling.

"My time limit is coming," I said, turning my head to look at the others. "I have approximately fifteen Earth minutes left."

Rachel nodded. "I'll fold up your clothes and put them in a bag when you're ready to go."

"Thank you, Rachel. And...thank you, everybody. I thought I was going to spend my birthday alone..."

Everyone looked at me, some with a touch of sadness, some with knowing smiles, all with the care that comes with deep friendship. I thought about all the battles we'd fought in, all the times we barely escaped death together. The laughter and the tears.

"But instead...I spent it with family."

As I left the room, I heard six voices speak as one. "Happy birthday, Ax."


	9. Chapter 6: Marco

((Author's Note: I apologize for the length of time it has taken to post this new chapter. Lots of crap has happened in the past couple months. Namely, stuff like college, getting my first job, needing surgery because of an abcess near my tailbone, being sick, schedule difficulties, my sister developing a persistent sinus infection, and trying to find a place of my own to move into. However, I'd like to state that the next few chapters are all more or less planned out in my mind, so it shouldn't take quite as long to get them out. I already have one chapter (not the next one, Chapter 7, unfortunately) partially written, as well as a completed, later Interlude, and then some other general stuffs floating around in my mind. The slightly sappy tone has crept in again but I think it's not bad. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one.))

* * *

**Chapter 6: Marco**

My name is Marco, and I must be going insane. Now, don't get me wrong. I value insanity. Sometimes doing something a little crazy is a great way to get a laugh, and laughter is my way of dealing with life's problems. I say that if you can't laugh at yourself every once in a while, you're too serious. People that are too serious go seriously mental, whacked-out, cuckoo, put-me-in-a-rubber-room nutzo.

But my life isn't exactly one that's conducive to sanity. You're probably thinking, "Yeah, right. A typical teenaged almost-high school guy, with a great dad, lots of money, nice house, all the stuff he could want." If only you knew.

My friends and I fight aliens, and they've got it all. Green, slimy, body-snatching, evil-to-the-marrow, and secretly taking over the world. If you think this is another one of my jokes, guess again. The Yeerks—that's what these aliens are called—are here and they're fighting a secret war in plain sight.

We cut through the construction yard near the mall one night. We had a choice between taking the safe, but long way, or a quick, dangerous shortcut Of course, it wasn't nearly that easy. That night, in the middle of the construction yard, we met our first alien.

His name was Elfangor, an Andalite warrior. His people had fought with the Yeerks in the space above Earth, and they lost. He flew, broken and dying, into the construction yard hoping to find someone, anyone that he could warn. He found six middle-school kids. He found us.

I don't think any of us will ever forget that night. The night Elfangor died. But before he died, he gave us a weapon to fight the Yeerks, a piece of powerful Andalite technology. He gave us the ability to morph into any animal we've touched for two hours at a time. If one of us went over the two hour limit, we'd be stuck in the shape of a flea or an elephant or, in Tobias' case, a red-tailed hawk. Later, we rescued the last Andalite survivor from Elfangor's ship, his little brother Ax. The seven of us, the Animorphs, fight the Yeerks, hoping that the Andalites will come to rescue us soon.

At first, I didn't want to fight. My mom had "died" a few years before that, and it destroyed my dad. He quit his job at the observatory just outside the city, stopped seeing all of his friends, and spent all his time working, sleeping, or staring at the TV. When that boating accident happened, I lost more than my mother. I lost my father for three years.

Then, not too long after that, I found out my mother was alive…but not the same. She had been taken for a host by the highest leader of the Yeerk military, Visser One. Only Jake knew that it was my mother, that I was facing a lie that had nearly destroyed my life. But that night, I found a reason to fight the Yeerks. Maybe it was selfish. I don't really care. I wanted my mom back, and if it meant fighting against aliens, I'd do it.

That doesn't stop me from complaining about it when it gets crazy, though.

Last fall, my dad finally came back to the real world. He realized that Mom wouldn't want him to waste his life away, and decided to go back to his old job. We moved into a new, nicer house, not far from where my best friend Jake lives.

Jake and I have known one another since we wore diapers. Our parents have been friends longer than we've been alive. He's a little too serious at times, but I like to think I keep him from getting boring. Jake is sort of the responsible, natural leader type. 'Course, he'd never asked to be the leader, but he is, and we've been through everything together.

His cousin, Rachel, is your typical warrior princess. She's tall, blonde, beautiful, and she's got an attitude bigger than the Grand Canyon. Rachel doesn't care for my "stupid jokes" very much, even if she does laugh at them. Her best friend is Cassie, a.k.a. Tree Hugger Woman, who runs a wildlife vet clinic in her barn along with her dad. The two of them are like night and day, but like Jake and I they get along pretty well.

Cassie and Jake are an item. Nobody else says much about it since Jake can get a little touchy, but they are. It's an open secret, and I'm not sure either of them is really aware of that fact. Oh, they look at each other shyly, they blush whenever it's hinted at. They did kiss though, _finally_, a couple months back, so maybe they _do_ know we know.

Then there's Zeke. He was sort of a distant friend of mine, somebody I knew at school but didn't know very well. He and Cassie were closer friends, but not exactly buddies either. She had invited him along that night at the mall because he didn't get out much, didn't have many friends. He's not a bad guy, really. Smarter than anyone else I know. A nice, quiet kind of guy, but he's shy and awkward around people. I won't complain about the awkwardness, though, because that kid has saved my grade on more tests than I'd like to admit.

You'll probably never meet the last human of our little menagerie. Tobias is stuck in the form of a hawk, but the Ellimist gave him back the ability to morph, including back into his old self. He used to be a dopey kid that got picked on a lot, but Jake helped him and they became friends. Now he chows down on Mouse Pockets and baby bunnies in a field near Cassie's house. I tease him about it sometimes, but…I don't do it too much. Tobias has had the worst burden of all of us by far.

Finally there's Ax, the brother of Elfangor and (through the bizarre tricks of the Ellimist) Tobias' uncle. At first we didn't really get along all that well because I knew he was hiding things from us, but I've given him a second chance. In fact, that was exactly why I knew I had to be going insane.

"At least I took him here _before_ going to Cinnabon," I muttered, shaking my head. The two of us—Ax in his human morph, of course—had gone down to the Central Library downtown. It's a big, old building, with lots of little spiral staircases and excessively tall shelves. The kind of place people get lost in if they aren't careful, and Ax wasn't feeling very careful. Or at least he wasn't feeling inclined to let me know where he was going.

"Ax, where the he—heck are you?" I called, relieved that I caught myself. Normally I don't care about swearing, but this was a _library_. It was bad enough that I was shouting, and I didn't need to give a librarian an excuse to kick me out while Ax was still inside. He was dangerous enough with someone watching him.

"Marco, I am right here," he said quietly as he came to a halt a few feet away. "There is no need to be concerned. Cerned. Erned."

I sighed. The boy was impossible. "Ax, I know you're excited about the books, but you have to sign the library card before you can use it."

He cocked his head to the side and asked, "Sign? Ign. What, aaat, do you mean?"

Holding up the library card, I pointed to the little rectangle on the back. "You have to put your name on it so you can have an account. I put the mailing address as mine when I asked for the card, so if you ever forget to return something I'll be able to let you know. But you have to have your name on it in order to use it."

"I cannot put my name on this card, Marco. The likelihood of a Controller seeing it is too great a risk." He frowned. "How will I be able to use it?"

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and shrugged. With all his Andalite knowledge, Ax just didn't get it sometimes. "Make up a name. Something you could use without people wondering, but close enough to your real name that you'd recognize it."

He stared at me blankly. "I do not know, www, the ways that the names of your people work. Erk. What do you think, Marco?"

"Well, uh…something that sounds like your real name, Ax." Suddenly, a name hit me. "Axle! And we could call you Ax for short."

"That appears, ears, to be a good choice," he said, mulling the name around for a moment. "I will need a surname, ur, surn, as well, I believe."

"Well…how about…" I thought about his Andalite name. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. Aximili. "Simile. Axle Simile." It was a horrible pun. I really didn't care; enough of my jokes are horrendous puns anyway. "And then if you go by your nickname, Ax, you'd be Ax Simile."

"Ax…Simile. I think that will work, Marco." I gave him a pen and he signed it. I almost laughed at how unreadable his signature was, but the look of shining pride on his face made me stop.

"Thank you, ou, very much Marco," he said quietly. Then, when he looked at the shelves in front of us, he became ecstatic again. "Oh! Books on languages!"

"Ax, are you sure you're feeling okay?"

It was an hour after we left the library. We'd gone to the mall, bought four Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (three for Ax, of course) and were now heading back to my place on the bus. Ax was looking a little green around the gills, if you know what I mean, and I was a little worried.

"Marco, I believe I requested, quest, too much icing on my cinnamon buns," he said, as he groaned softly. "And I have thirty of yo—thirty minutes remaining before I must…"

"Change into your other…outfit?" I asked, noticing that there were still several people on the bus. I whispered, "Keep quiet about it, but I know. We should be at my house before then."

The driver called out the stop nearest to my house, so we ambled off and I gestured for Ax to follow me. Thankfully, that specific bus stop was only a few blocks away from a place where Ax could safely demorph and rest, e.g. my bedroom. My dad was still working with the people at the observatory, preparing their equipment for the eclipse coming later that day, so I figured we had at least two hours before he got home.

Ax went into the bathroom connected to my room, something I loved about this house when we moved in. I flopped onto my bed, feeling lazy and not exactly sure what was going to happen now.

I mean, seriously, this was possibly one of the weirdest things I'd ever done. I was having an alien friend "play" at my house. What would we _do_? It wasn't like he would know any of the games we could play. I mean, if he thought that my dad's advanced software-writing program was a game, how boring would things like tag or poker be?

We'd already talked at the library, and at Cinnabon, and on the bus. Halfway home, we'd lapsed into a sort of uncomfortable silence that practically screamed "What am I doing here?" Other than some fake chit-chat to fool any listening Controllers that we were just normal kids (or at least as normal a kid as Ax would ever appear), we'd barely spoken for the past half hour. It was weird and it was beginning to get on my nerves.

Suddenly, I noticed that there had been some scuffing sounds in the bathroom and that Ax hadn't come out yet, even though he'd been in there almost ten minutes. I bit back a snide remark about falling into the toilet, knowing that Ax wouldn't understand and that it might make the situation worse. Bracing myself for whatever might happen, I opened the door and poked my head in.

It took all the self-control I had, plus everything I'd ever learned from watching Jake, to not burst out laughing. Ax had demorphed too close to the tub, and was now halfway in it, with one of his dainty-looking Andalite hooves against the side of the toilet reservoir. The wall of the tub was too high, setting him off-balance, and his front hooves didn't look like they had the traction to push him up and out. He looked like he'd been very quietly, very slowly trying to extricate himself and had failed miserably, probably only making the situation worse. While I watched, his stalk-eyes snapped around to look at me and he faltered, grabbing onto the only thing he could reach: the faucet handle.

The shower came to life, spraying water all over Ax's back and shoulders. I dashed forward and reached, hoping to catch the sprayer-head before it fell, but didn't quite make it. Ax turned his head to look at me as I shut off the water. He was soaked and I was pretty wet myself.

I had never heard him thought-speak so seriously before.

"I can see that, Ax. Here, let me help." As I righted him and helped pull him out of the tub, I stifled the laughter that was threatening to make me explode. After a minute or so, he was out of the tub, but still dripping wet.

I think he noticed the sounds I'd been making, because he said, 

"Oh, no, it's nothing," I said, though the look in his almond-shaped eyes told me that he didn't believe me. "Just…never mind. Anyway, since we're both pretty wet now, I'll go get some towels for you to dry off."

I grabbed an armful of towels from the hall closet and made my way back to the bathroom. _Is there any way this could get—no, Marco. You _know_ what happens when you think that_, I thought to myself. No need to tempt the gods of irony any more than necessary.

I offered a pair of towels to Ax, who stared at them for a moment before drying off his upper body. Leaving the other towels within easy reach, I went to go change into something dry. It was still a nice day out, even if it was a little too warm for early afternoon, so I picked some shorts and a tee shirt.

Then I heard Ax's uncertain thought-speak voice. 

Hoping against hope that no further misadventures had occurred spontaneously since I had left him there, I went inside.

Sighing with relief at the fact that no new chaos had suddenly erupted, I glanced about. It didn't look like anything was the matter…but Ax was looking at me. His tail and hindquarters were still facing toward the door, and he had turned slightly to look at me more easily with his main eyes. As I raised an eyebrow, I asked, "So Ax…what's up?"

_ He sounded skittish, which put me on edge. ___

"Oh, well then," I said, slightly bewildered. "I guess I can help you with that."

It felt weird. It probably looked even weirder. I'm sure the tabloids would have had an extravaganza with this one: 'Teenage boy gives alien a bath!' However, knowing that it was too great a risk to let him run around to air-dry, I grabbed a towel and ran it over his blue fur.

It took a moment to figure out that I wasn't really getting anywhere. The water was trapped in the fur and I had to really work to get it to come out. It took a little bit of time, but with some effort I was getting the job done. Really, it didn't seem much different from drying off a dog or an animal at Cassie's barn, except that this animal had a lethal tail-blade and was a thinking being.

Once I was almost finished, I looked over at Ax. His main eyes had closed, and his stalk eyes were lazily looking in other directions, so he couldn't see me. I briefly wondered why he would be doing that before I noticed that I'd stopped working. Ax began to open his eyes and I quickly pulled away. It was an awkward moment but it passed. _Can this get ANY worse? _

That was when I heard the sound of feet climbing the stairs, and the meaning of "a hell of a lot worse" suddenly became extremely clear to me. While I'd been busy drying off Ax's fur, my dad had come home. He was already halfway up the stairs. If he came into my room and saw Ax…no. I couldn't let that happen.

Ax unnecessarily warned me, sounding about how I felt.

"Yes, I know. It's my dad. Morph back as fast as you can and get dressed. I'll…distract him…somehow…"

I bolted out of the bathroom and came into the hallway just as my dad rounded the corner. He looked happy to see me, so I managed to conjure up a smile too. My acting skills had never been tested more—well, with the exception of Ax's little incident earlier. I groped to find something to say, but my dad beat me to it.

"Hey Marco! I didn't expect you back yet. Steve and I got finished with the calibration a bit early, so I thought I'd swing by here and maybe grab something to eat before the big event."

"Yeah, that, uh, makes sense," I said, feeling extremely stupid. "So…uh…how's the observatory thing coming?"

My dad raised an eyebrow, but said, "It's fine. The equipment for sun-observation is all ready now and they'll start it up in a little under an hour, though the eclipse won't happen until a bit after that." He paused, then asked, "Is everything okay, Marco?"

"Yes, everything's fine!" I said, probably a bit too cheerily. "Oh, by the way, I brought a friend over. We went by the library earlier and then decided to crash here for a little while. He's using the bathroom right now."

"Oh, is that your friend No?" He was, of course, referring to the only time he'd ever met Ax. I'd told Ax to only answer with "yes" and "no" and it led to an interesting and confusing conversation between him and my dad. However, since it was likely that he'd be seeing more of Ax now, I thought I should rectify that name situation.

"Oh, yeah, it's him, but about his name. He has a kind of…strange…sense of humor, and he was asking people to call him 'No' as a joke. His real name is Axle, but he usually goes by Ax."

My dad sighed, frowning, and said, "Kids these days. I don't think I'll ever get your humor."

Just then, however, Ax opened the door to my room, and for once he had managed to dress himself correctly without needing any help. _Perhaps there **is **a God,_ I thought, ever so slightly sighing with relief. He stood there silently for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Hello, Axle. It's been a little while." My dad suddenly got this excited look in his eyes. "Hey, do you think you guys would like to come to the observatory with me? It'll be excellent viewing out there, no tourists or media people or anything. And I'll take you out to dinner afterwards."

Surprisingly enough, Ax smiled that weirdly cute smile of his. "I would enjoy, oy, doing that. I have not seen an eclipse…like this before."

The two of them looked at me like it was decided. I sighed dramatically and asked, "If I said no, would it really matter? No, don't answer that. I'll go along. I've never seen an eclipse either, it might be interesting."

The ride to the observatory was thankfully uneventful. We made small talk, or at least the closest thing Ax could manage. He's like a fountain, bubbling up with random bits of information like what the first US patent was or what the world record is for the longest time spent in a sensory deprivation tank. No wonder he gets along with Zeke so well, they're both practically walking encyclopedias.

Thinking back on the events of the day, I realized that even though things had been hectic, sometimes downright chaotic, it had been a good day. Ax got to do something he almost never does, just hanging out. He probably doesn't think about it that way, but I think it might get kind of lonely for him out in the forest. Of course, he could always talk to Tobias, and they're basically best friends, but sometimes I think he just wants to get out and see something other than the forest. I guess maybe that was why he read so much, it was a way for him to escape.

Snapping out of my reverie, I noticed that my dad was looking at me strangely. "Marco, we're here. You don't want to miss the eclipse because you sat in the car too long." He started toward the observatory building, not waiting for me.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Just…didn't notice what was happening, I guess."

"Are you feeling, nnnng, alright Marco?" Ax asked, frowning. He was getting better at using facial expressions. "You seem to be preoccupied with something."

I shrugged. "I'm fine. Let's go, we don't want to keep him waiting at the door."

It took a few minutes to get to where the astronomers were working on their equipment and chattering about settings and things. My dad introduced us and said that we were just here to watch the eclipse. His friend Steve, one of the head astronomers, lent us some ID cards that would get us out onto one of the balcony-type areas outside. We walked in silence as we looked for a good spot, finally coming to one on the top floor.

The observatory was built a few years back, off in the forested areas away from the city, sort of north and a little west of the mountains. A big rock formation was picked since it was set up above the trees and things, and part of the complex ran into the rock. The balcony we stood on actually connected to a little path up to a higher area on the bluff, where I saw what looked like a smaller, separate optical telescope dome a ways off.

"Marco, I believe if we follow, low, ollow, this path, we will find a better viewing position."

"Yeah, let's go," I said, not really minding where we went to watch the eclipse. I took the lead, looking on both sides of the path for a clearing or something. I almost missed the little trail about fifty feet from where we'd started, but it looked pretty well used so I decided to give it a look.

After a short walk, the trail opened out to a small clearing that went out to the edge of the bluff. A railing had been installed, thank goodness, because there was a _long_ drop-off that made me just a little dizzy. Ax followed me in, looking around and nodding.

"Yes, this will provide a good view of the eclipse. Clipse," he said, then muttered to himself, "Psss. What an interesting sound…"

A joke nearly popped out of my mouth, but I held it back. Ax wouldn't know what I was talking about, being an alien and having his weird foot-digestive-system thing that only Zeke seemed to understand. We stood side by side, looking out at the forest surrounding the bluff and waiting for the eclipse to begin.

"Marco, I was thinking, inking, king, about you recently," Ax stated suddenly. "I remembered that you went on a date, daaate, with someone. I did not hear how it went."

I couldn't stop a smile from coming to my face, because as alien as Ax may be, sometimes he's just an awkward teenager like the rest of us. I mean, with anybody else I would have just shrugged it off as normal life, you know? But with Ax, I felt like I could relate to him a little more. I might not always understand him and why he did things, but when you peeled off all the layers of society and culture and manners and just looked at who we were, there wasn't a really big difference between us.

_I'm starting to sound like Zeke, _I thought._ Or maybe Tobias. Come on, Marco, get a grip on yourself, philosophy is for excessively serious people._

I sighed. "Not real great, Ax. Leila, like most people of the female persuasion, is impossible to understand. She said she liked me because of my sense of humor, then ended the date early when I started telling jokes that were actually funny."

Ax gave me a sidelong glance. I had noticed he was beginning to use more human facial expressions ever since Zeke had commented about it. I wouldn't have thought about it normally, but Zeke was right—part of what made Ax's human morph so…weird…was how his face only registered basic things like frowns and smiles. Otherwise it was usually blank. By itself, that wouldn't be a big problem, but in combination with the slightly off way that he said words and his bad habit of playing with sounds, he came across as a little _too_ weird.

"Okay, fine. I give in. This time it wasn't the complex infrastructure known as the female mind. We went to a classical music concert and during the intermission I…made fun of the composer." Ax turned a little more, but had to rebalance himself for a moment. I took the hint. "And the conductor, the musicians, the audience, and the concert hall. But they were _good_ jokes!"

"I see," Ax replied, obviously not understanding at all. Then again, most humans didn't understand my amazing humor, so what did I expect? Suddenly he became inquisitive. "What is 'classical, assic, cal, music?"

Before answering, I glanced up to the sky. The moon had just begun to cover up the sun and the sky had started to darken. After I watched for a moment, I said, "Classical music is…well…it's music written for instruments like the piano and violins and stuff." Looking back at Ax, I realized that that probably didn't mean much to him. "Well, I don't listen to much classical stuff, so you'd be better off asking Zeke or maybe Cassie. But basically it's music mostly without words that uses older types of instruments and writing."

"Oh." He, too, was staring up at the sky now. The sun was almost completely covered, and the thin crescent remaining was slowly being swallowed up. The light was kind of eerie, really, silvery and watered-down looking. I could see the details of things really clearly, but colors faded and overall shapes were harder to see. Finally, the moon was completely covering the sun, and a silver-white halo formed around it.

"It's beautiful," he said, too distracted by the sight to play with sounds.

I wasn't much better. "Yeah…you must get to see a lot of these on your homeworld."

"Actually, we don't. Only two of our moons are large enough and close enough for total eclipses. And since my homeworld is in a binary star system, sometimes the second sun makes it too bright to see an eclipse clearly. Earth is much better."

Not having anything to say (I mean, what _do_ you say to something like that?), I settled for just watching. It really was beautiful, eerie and mysterious and yet amazing and mesmerizing. Without really realizing either of us had moved, I found myself standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Ax. Though, because he was taller than me by a healthy margin, "shoulder-to-upper-arm" would've been more accurate.

It took another moment to realize that I was holding his hand, with its strong but gentle grip. Even more bizarrely, I didn't immediately pull away. Maybe it was because of the eclipse. I don't know. But it felt right, standing there next to him. Time felt weird, slow, suspended while we watched the sky, like we were the only people in the world.

Then the totality began to pass. (Contrary to popular opinion, I don't _always_ sleep through science class.) "Let's go, Ax," I said. He nodded silently and followed me back to the observatory.

We parted awkwardly, both of us walking a little distance off. I knew that what had just happened wasn't normal, probably should have rung some little alarm bell in my brain, but it didn't. My feelings were all over the place, and I couldn't get them sorted out. Finally, I just took a few deep breaths and pushed it out of my mind. _I don't need to deal with this right now. I'll just talk to Cassie or Jake. Solid, boring, dependable Jake _always_ knows how to fix my moods._

But I couldn't completely block out a little thought that came out of some dark corner of my mind. _You can't hide it forever_. Whatever _that_ meant.


End file.
